Meeting the Missonis in Italy (ANTM)

Another week, another ANTM Elimination! Here is your recap!

After panel last week a couple of the girls were excited, another not so much. Liz explained that when she gets nervous she laughs, she tries to joke through it but she is here to change her life, to change her daughter’s life, so she has to be present. Chris was ‘damn’ proud of herself, she believed she brought that extra umph. She was overjoyed to see a snapshot of her commercial on the screen for best photo of the week, she squealed quite a bit. Ann knows she needs to overcome her shyness and awkward style but its becoming a big challenge for her, she needs to rise to the occasion.

But before anyone had too much time to dwell on that, we were into the next day when someone made a surprise appearance. Miss Jay popped up at the girls home to chat and take them on a bike ride; he said this cycle is the first where the house has actually been next to the beach and they should all enjoy it by biking. He lead the girls, bike by bike down the beach and then-into the surrounding neighborhood and then-to a bridge? Whats this? Oh dear, Miss Jay quickly started to explain to the girls that this is where they will be having their next photo-shoot. He hopes they all brought their swimsuits, they have to dive off the bridge and into the water and-oh wait why is Tyra here? Apparently she asked a boatman to take her to Venice-and thats when everybody figures out theres no photo-shoot here, we’re going to Venice, Italy! Thats right, the final six are off to Italy where the rest of the competition will take place. Needless to say, everyone is jumping around and screaming and Miss Jay tells them: “get off this damn bridge and go home to pack your bags!” So they do, and while they’re running around looking for boots and hair accessories, we get clips of them telling us how exciting this is for them. Ann has only been out of her home-state of Texas three times and for her to be traveling to Italy is a dream come true, “its awesome”. Kayla is so grateful that she made it this far, and she is going to show that by stepping up her game and giving more than her 110%.

A very down-played plane ride later, our girls are in Venice Italy. Liz tells us that its so very hot and she’s uncomfortable but she’s so thrilled to be Italy. Ann never thought she would have made it this far, its a wonderfully wild ride. Jane starts to come alive, as a history major she’s feeling very comfortable in a study she’s studied so well-Princeton was her dream, and she knew modeling would be another fulfilling goal. Chelsey is so happy to be here, she sees this as the biggest thing she can do in her career. As the girls grab a bite to eat, we can see that Ann is so much more open with the girls that she use to be-she said so herself: “getting to know the girls more, I am able to be more comfortable around them.” Kayla noticed as well, she said that Ann was getting more confident since she got to know her as a person. After their meal, they found their residence for the meanwhile, the Hotel Danieli; Kayla was overcome by the breathtaking view of the balcony and as the girls were making a toast-a bird flew over and pooped on their parade! Most of the girls laughed it off and were ready to move on, Liz though, got some on her arm and could not stop sharing how icky that was. Most of the girls shrugged her off but Chelsey is getting tired of her-fast. “Get over it, seriously. Wah, wah, wah, bitch, bitch, bitch-I’m so ready for her to [get out]. I’m over it.”

Tyra mail: don’t be seduced by your surrounding or you might fall overboard. Gondola?.. The girls met up with Mister Jay and their photographer, for this photo-shoot they would be victorian ladies vying for Casanova’s attention. Three girls would pose with Casanova on an italian boat in Venice; Ann, Chelsey, and Jane versus Kayla, Liz, and Chris. Kayla immediately shared some discomfort but she knew she had to work hard to interact better with the opposite sex because she is not going to let a little thing like that get in the way of her chances at becoming America’s next top model-no way. A male model names Mario was going to be their Casanova, and he was introduced to the girls before the photo-shoot started. Jane felt like she had the leg up on the other girls because of how familiar she is with the history of Italy, it definitely gave her confidence, and we got to see a bit more of her personality. Chelsey felt like she was more focused on the prize than any of the others girls and that is what is going to allow her to come out on top, she also thought she would have a leg up on Ann because of her shaky confidence. Kayla felt the pressure of this shoot, but she threw herself into focusing on the camera and Casanova. Even though it was very hot and the girls were wearing some heavy outfits, Jay made it clear that modeling does not mean comfortable, but it has to look it. And then they were off.

Chris, Liz, and Kayla were up first to shoot with Casanova on his love tub. Chris and Liz had to work in awkward positions, especially Liz who was on the back of the boat behind Casanova. Jay thought Chris and Liz were struggling to find good spots, but he believed Kayla found her comfort zone right away, found her soft and feminine side, and was the most believable throughout the entire shoot. The fact that Kayla was doing well only made Chris try harder and harder. Liz however, had sweat in her eyes and she tried to knell, but her legs were burning and then she tried to stand but it was so hot. Jay thought Chris only got more and more awkward through the shoot, and lost her performance. He said Kayla on the other hand was beautiful and fabulous. Kayla later said she didn’t think of Chris as high fashion, not to say she wasn’t a model but just not high fashion. Their shoot ended on a high, and then we continued on to Chelsey, Ann, and Jane’s shoot. Ann was stressed and really had to handle her shyness, Jay had to constantly encourage her to feel the mood. Jay loved how Chelsey was engaging with Casanova, and that Jane was amazing; he said it was like looking back in time with Jane, she had a difficult position at the back of the boat but she made it believable and had her own private moment. Jay thought Ann was losing confidence, wasn’t connected at all, that the other girls were upstaging her, and that she wasn’t comfortable with people and she wasn’t selling it. It started to rain during their shoot, they tried to continue but Jay soon wrapped it up because they were getting raining out and the dresses were getting ruined. Chelsey thought she could see Ann going downhill really fast, she figured it would happen. Mister Jay explained to the girls that this was their first and last shoot in Venice because they would be moving to Malian where they would get a new house. Some of the girls were much happier with their shoot than others but all were excited about their new abode.

Everybody was really excited about the new house when they arrived but as they explored they noticed something. Kayla said they were all ready for glamor but when they got there everything was really small, like your grandma’s house. Ann said everyone was excited to pick out beds but as they were, they noticed there weren’t many to choose from. Suddenly theres screaming and excitement and Tyra shows up! The girls are flabbergasted at how she can always sneak in and cause panic like she does. She shows the girls that there are beds for everyone, they are futons and pull-out beds; she asked the girls why their Italian house would be so small when previous cycles had big, luxurious houses and someone immediately spoke up with the right answer-its exactly like a model’s apartment. Real model apartments aren’t big or huge, glamor is not the reality of living as a model, Tyra wanted the girls to experience the real deal. After getting settled and a good night’s rest, the girls were off-this time to the first italian fashion house they’ve ever been to-teh Missoni Fashion House. They girls met up with Miss Jay and Angela Missoni, the most established designer in italian fashion. Chelsey was excited because she is very familiar with Missoni which gave her another confidence boost. They were to try on the winter looks, and walk so Angela could get a sense of their poise. Jane was happy with the opportunity, describing the clothes as so high quality and the experience great. Kayla thought the clothes were nice as well, but winter clothes in summer is uncomfortable. The girls also met Margherita Missoni, Angela Missoni’s daughter, the heiress to the Missoni line, the grand ambassador, the major accessories designer, and this week’s guest judge. The girls walked for the three of them in some Missoni winter coats; Angela wanted Ann to push harder, she also told Chelsey not to dance too much, and told Jane not to be too stiff. Before the girls left the Missonis’ fashion house, Angela told them the model’s personality is what makes her great. How many times have we heard that before?-still its good lesson to keep in mind.

After the commercial break, it was time for the first panel in Italy! Tyra told the girls they looked fantastic in their winter-wear, as thats what they wore. The girls were going to be judged on their gondola, Casanova pictures and they were going up in their groups of three. The first group to go was Jane, Chelsey, and Ann; they said Chelsey’s part was stunning, that it was one of her best so far, she was lovely and in control, there was feeling in the picture, and a volcanic incandescentness even though her eyes were not focused on the camera. Ann was said to be lifeless and yet full of life, magical but somehow lost in her shoulders. Jane got mixed reviews, some said she was over doing it, but Tyra thought she was wonderful, and blowing the other two girls away. Chelsey was getting dizzy from the heat, and so was Liz, so Tyra let them switch and sit-so Chelsey’s group was sitting back while Liz’s group came forward and sat. It was hot in the room already, but add the fact that they’re in winter-wear and we could get some heat stroke. Once they sat, they got a little better so panel continued with the comments on Liz, Chris, and Kayla’s Casanova photo. The judges thought Chris was amazing more so in solo and not so much in group, one judge said she looked afraid, another thought more surprised, and one believed there was no interesting angles to her position. They thought Liz had a lovely face but wasn’t excited, had the right look but wasn’t committed, and that she looked more modern when they were really looking to go back in time. The judges all agreed Kayla was radiating strength, power, beauty; that she had connection and a real story to her photo, that she was the star and it was her eyes that were the window to her success. Then, the judges went into deliberation to choose who would go home.

In deliberation, they decided that Jane was a star, she did have good energy and she was working it. That Chelsey was stunning, and smiling without even looking at the camera; they found Ann to be beautiful and amazing but not consistent. They thought Chris was great but not the best, and definitely not in the time zone they were hoping for; they didn’t think Liz was connecting, nor convincing, and that maybe she just doesn’t know what to do. Kayla was making it real, she was so present, the star of the photo; and what the judges loved the most was that in the commercial she did not interact with the male model well at all but in this picture with Casanova she was fantastic. Is it any wonder that when the girls were called back she got best photo? She did, Kayla got best photo and Tyra told her she not only had fire in her hair but in her eyes and an energy that impressed the judges. The runner up for best photo was Jane, and then Chelsey and Ann were called leaving Chris and Liz in the bottom two. Tyra told Chris she had a great personality, and was stunning but it wasn’t in her photos, like it was for the others. Tyra told Liz that she has the bone structure and the judges love her andromgy, that she had good and sometimes amazing photos but so many excuses. Chris was chosen to stay while Liz went home, Tyra told Chris that personality is important but you need to kick butt in photos too. Tyra made sure Liz knew that she didn’t have to win to be a good influence for her daughter, and that she better not put a weave in her fierce new look. Liz hopes that she’ll be successful, because she’s going to take what she learned and put it into her career, and she was really glad that she was going to get to see her daughter again.

What do you think about moving to Italy? Should Liz have gone home this week? Let us know by commenting here or yakking with us in the FORUM!