The Judges:
Linda: 49-year-old designer with 20 years' professional experience; studied at both Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Danielle: 36-year-old writer with 15 years' editorial experience; no formal fashion training.
Amy: 33-year-old stylist with 10 years' experience in television, film, theater, and print.

Linda's Take: It's not easy updating an icon, but Michael's Pam Greer ensemble was creative, sexy, and flawlessly constructed. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael makes the final three. Another strong showing was Angela's Audrey Hepburn dress. Granted, it was easy to make, but she chose her fabrics and embellishments wisely (unlike Angela's usual old-fashioned yoyos, this week's adornments looked surprisingly fresh). I also liked Uli's dress; the combination of colors and prints was, again, excellent, and the look was very Diana Ross. Although I loved Kayne's design, there was a technical problem: The gown was pulling around the back zipper when the model walked. This often happens when you insert a zipper into a sheer or lightweight stretch fabric; the material gives but not the zipper (a classic example of was the white Vera Wang skating dress Nancy Kerrigan wore in 1992). That said, the gathering in the seam disguised the flaw a bit, and apparently, it didn't bother the judges. Although Jeffrey and Laura managed to channel Katherine Hepburn and Madonna respectively, neither design wowed me, and frankly, Alison's Farah Fawcett dress made her model look like a heffer. With a babydoll, the seam really needs to be right under the bust; otherwise, it's unflattering. Although his colorblocking instincts were good, Vincent totally missed the mark on mod, and Robert made a huge mistake in choosing linen for Jackie O; a tropical-weight wool would have been a better option. The worst showing was, of course, Bradley's Cher, but it seemed like he threw in the towel several episodes ago.
Scorecard: Michael 5; Angela 4.5; Uli 4; Kayne 4; Jeffrey 3; Laura 3; Robert 2; Alison 1; Vincent 1; Bradley 0.5.

Danielle's Take: My feelings about this week's turn down the runway can be summed up in one- to two-word exclamations: Alison, wow; Angela, eh; Bradley, ew; Robert, no; Kayne, va-va-va-voom; Uli, right on; Jeffrey, oy; Vincent, okay; Laura, rawk; and Michael, sweet. Michael has finally got his due with those hot, hot hot-pants. The more I think about it, the more I believe he should have won the first challenge with that fantastic frock fashioned from coffee filters. But picking the top dog from the cream of this crop was rather difficult. Kayne's dress was amazing, from the Austrian crystal detail just below the cleavage to the beautiful lines in the train. Laura did a spot-on update of Katherine Hepburn with that great wrap top and those fab plaid pants. And stop in the name of purple: Uli just knows how to combine prints and colors that usually make me cringe but, in her hands, make me drool. With its ice blue touches and graceful skirt, Alison's confection was perfection, but was it Farrah? Yes, I did like the texture of Angela's dress, but I wasn't crazy about that bubbly bottom. And I can't believe I'm coming to the aid of Vincent, and maybe it's the Catholic school girl in me, but I loved the plaid he used in his dress. I didn't mind the sleeves, either. I could see Twiggy, Nina, but I could see The Brady Bunch, too, Mr. Kors. The challenge's real dogs were rather easy to spot. I thought Robert would hit this pitch right out of the ballpark, but yet again, he fell flatter than styled straight hair in 100 percent humidity. Jeffrey's mess was nothing short of stultifying. And Bradley, oh my Bradley. Heidi really pegged it when she likened it to a cheap Halloween costume. His departure comes as no surprise, though; he should have been given the boot two episodes ago. P.S, Heidi, where I can get that adorable babydoll dress?
Scorecard: Michael 5; Laura 4.75; Kayne 4.5; Alison 4; Uli 3.75; Vincent 3.25; Angela 3; Robert 2.5; Jeffrey 1.5; Bradley 0.

Amy's Take: Isn't it iconic? Don't ya think? Well, in some cases more than others. Michael was indeed Captain Save-a-Ho this week, not only in diffusing the workroom drama; he saved a potentially ho-like Pam Greer look by shifting gears at the last minute. While most people wouldn't think of hot-pants as classy, Michael made the garment look fresh, young, and tasteful. Bravo, Captain! Also fabulous was Kayne's Marilyn gown (a dress I could easily envision Christina Aguilera wearing to the Grammy's), as well as Angela's Audrey Hepburn dress (is it just me, though, or did that garment have the same exact cut and plunging neckline as the LBD Laura wore during the episode?). While Laura's, Uli's, and Jeffrey's ensembles all succeeded in reflecting their icons, none of them made me swoon, and Vincent's fabrics were all wrong--it looked as if he was going for Mondrian but wound up with '50s house frau. Robert's burlap-sacked Jackie O was equally problematic, as was Alison's Farrah dress, which cut the body at the widest point, making the model look shapeless. But the low point was, of course, Bradley's. Instead of updating one of Cher's signature looks (either from the Sonny or the Bob Mackie years), his ill-fitting design looked like something unsuitable for even a Star Trek convention.
Scorecard: Michael 4.5; Angela 4; Kayne 4; Uli 3.5; Laura 3.5; Jeffrey 3.5; Vincent 1.5; Robert 1.5; Alison 1.5; Bradley 0.5.

Judges' Total Talley: Michael 14.5; Kayne 12.5; Angela 11.5; Uli 11.25; Laura 11.25; Jeffrey 8; Alison 6.5; Robert 6; Vincent 5.75; Bradley 1.