09x07 - Nineties Week

[bunniefuu]

We're going back to the '90s

or, as the Romans called it,
the future -

a time when memorising
phone numbers was a thing,

houses cost a pound,
and all it took to be a health guru

was knowing the ingredients
to a Caesar salad.

MUSIC: Saturday Night by Whigfield

PAGER BEEPS

Welcome to '90s Week.

Last time...

SHE GASPS

...it was back to
school for Children's Week...

Look how cute that is.

...Lizzie's dragon dressing gown

flew her to the top
of the pattern class...

Wow.

...but Tony won Best Dressed
in the made-to-measure.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Well done, Tony.

And it was Fauve...

Just doesn't quite fit.

...who was expelled.

Now...

Wassup?

...that's what I call the '90s.

HE WHISTLES

With a pattern challenge that's
never, ever been done before...

I feel like I'm doing
something wrong.

...a transformation to
spice up your life...

Geri is about to have a fight with
Nicole from All Saints.

...and a made-to-measure that might
be too sexy for the sewing room.

Get your cleavage out.

Who'll be getting jiggy with
the quarterfinal?

It's really stunning.

And who will be saying...

Ooh!
...bye, bye, bye?

OK, well, this is terrifying.

MUSIC: Parklife by Blur

Oh, my word.
'90s - I was there.

Post-Thatcher, we was like "What?!
What happened there? Wahey!"

"Party time."

I wasn't alive in the '90s.

I'm glad there was a resurgence
recently, cos otherwise

I would definitely be...

SHE SIGHS
...in trouble.

We're on week seven.
I can't believe that.

Look, Patrick is still there.

Ah.

There is no way, really, that you
could afford a bad week,

and I am hoping that I've had my
bad weeks, thank you very much.

Come forward, sewers.

This week, we are celebrating
the crazy fashions of the '90s.

A time before the internet, where
we were forced to communicate

using hyper-colour clothing.

THEY LAUGH

Please, the pattern challenge.

Right, here we go.

Ah!

Oh... my gosh.

WOMAN: Yeah, cargo pants.

So, when I think of a trouser
in the '90s,

I think of cargo pants.

In the '90s, cargo pants came in
every fabric under the sun,

so have fun in the haberdashery.

You have four-and-a-half hours
for this challenge

and your time starts now.

MUSIC: Step On by Happy Mondays

See me, straight in.

That's mine.

Cargo pants can be recreated with
a sturdy material

for military crispness...

I know I want something with quite
a lot of structure.

...or a more fluid fabric
for a baggier shape.

It's got a bit of drape,
and I might regret choosing that.

Cargo pants were huge
with '90s music icons and,

with the decade's recent revival,
they've made a massive comeback.

I often wish
I could go back to the '90s,

and then I remember I'd have to
resit my GCSEs

and I've forgotten everything.

So, cargo pants.

Quite a tricky construction.

The zip needs to come all the way
up to the waistband.

We've asked them to create quite a
complex bellows pocket on the side.

We've got a button,
buttonhole, we've got a pleat.

We've got a gusset.

You know, it's not just like putting
a patch pocket on.

It's much more complicated.

Why is that called a bellows pocket?

Well, it, it acts like a...

Now, it makes sense.
You know it's, you know,

it expands and contracts
like an accordion or...

But it doesn't, you know,
play a tune or light a fire?

It does neither of those.

Cargo pants definitely featured in
my wardrobe in the '90s,

but as a child.

I can imagine having pockets
full of a Polly Pocket in one,

raisins in another.

SHE GIGGLES

You wouldn't put anything
in the pockets,

except maybe a credit
card or 10p for the phone.

Wassup?

THEY LAUGH

Do you remember the '90s?

Do you want to know? My dress sense
was exactly as it is today,

cos I am stuck in the '90s,
I think.

Yeah, well, perfect, yeah. Yeah.

There are quite a few
little pieces to cut.

There's a lot of work in this,
isn't there?

The cargo pants pattern
is the most complex yet.

First, the two front
legs are joined at the crotch.

A zip fly is attached.

The side and centre seams are sewn.

Then a pleat is created
down the centre of the pocket.

And expanding bellows gussets
are stitched on at the sides,

before they're sewn to the legs,
along with a pocket flap and button.

The inside legs are joined,

an elasticated waistband is attached
and closed with a hook and bar.

And, finally, the cargo
pants are hemmed.

Ever made cargo pants before?

I've never made cargo pants
but I've worn them.

Oh, right.
And I wore ones in this pattern.

£10 at a stall at Glastonbury. Yeah.

I needed them because everything
else was covered in mud.

SHE LAUGHS

Have you sewn a fly before?

I've not sewn it enough that
I can just do it

without reading instructions.
Thinking, yeah.

So I think the fly is probably
the bit that's worrying me

most at the moment.
Is it? OK. Yeah.

I feel like the zipper is such
a key part of this.

They're probably the most
complex zips to do.

I just need to massively
focus on how to do it.

I'm setting the zip into the right
side of the trouser fronts.

And it has to be right on the edge.

I love living on the edge.

Can't have it any other way.
SHE LAUGHS

Ooh, I hope I'm doing this right.

That's not right.

It should be... there.

So, I'm just going to do it again.

Just going to reposition my zipper.

I don't think I've done
this quite right,

cos I've got my zipper
a bit low down.

I'd like to think they'd turn
a blind eye,

but you know what
the judges are like.

Once in the right place...

I still, I feel like I'm doing
something wrong.

...the zip must be completely
concealed by the fly guard.

I think this bit of the zip's
maybe too far out,

but we don't even have time
to think about it, so,

we're just going to carry on.

How do you feel about the '90s?

It's like everyone got out of bed
with bedhead hair and... Yeah.

I've got more important things to do
than lift up my trousers.

Show my thong, I mean...
Oh, yeah, there was lots of that.

That's coming back as well,
isn't it?

I think just
a lot of bum cracks around!

LAUGHTER

Hopefully not mine
when I'm cutting my fabric!

No. No bum cracks on BBC One, please.

Ooh! I'm done.

I need to, like, get rid of the
chalk but... I'm pleased with it.

BEEPS

SPEAKING CLOCK: At the third stroke,
it will be 2.35 precisely.

You're halfway through.

Ugh, my goodness.

EXHALES
Breathe.

If fly zips weren't tricky enough...

Keep moving, keep moving.

...the sewers now need to concentrate

on cargo pants' most
defining and complex feature...

...the bellows pockets.

So I think we are about to create
somewhat of a 3D pocket.

Cargo pants were originally
worn by the British Army

in the Second World w*r.

Their recognisable large box pockets

were designed for soldiers
to easily access things like

ammunition, maps and rations.

♪ I got the power! ♪

But it took over 50 years
for cargo pants

to burst into the public zeitgeist.

The '90s was a golden era
for streetwear

which had emerged from hip-hop,
surf and skate culture.

The popularity of cargo pants increased

when they were worn by influential
pop groups like TLC and All Saints.

And brands like Maharishi
reinterpreted cargo pants

to create fashion versions.

Maharishi was founded in 1994
by British designer Hardy Blechman

who previously worked
in the army surplus trade.

His philosophy for the company
was resolutely pacifist.

So, in a sense, his designs
subverted their military origins.

But the core design elements

remained relatively loyal
to the original.

With their recent revival,

we can see that today's trends
feed into nostalgia

not only for the '90s
but also for millennium-era styles.

♪ I got the power
Power, power. ♪

We are going to power through this.

As well as an inverted pleat
at the centre...

These pockets do have a sort of
panel around them

to make them wider which
gives it the volume that you want

in a good cargo pocket.

Ah, right, yes. Yes.

Is it that? No.

I have actually made
this sort of pocket before

and now I've started making it,
and they were an absolute nightmare

cos I didn't understand
the instructions! Yeah.

It's not an easy pattern,
I have to say.

I interpret the instructions
as creating this edge stitch

that goes on both
the side panel and the top

and that makes it really sturdy.

I know from wearing combats

that they've all got
a really crisp edge there.

But not all sewers have folded

the edge of their side panels
before sewing.

I think we've done it wrong.

I know... they're sewn like that.
Like that, yeah.

All right, let's do it.

Give me a nod if what I'm doing... CHUCKLES

I think unpicking it
will cause more destruction

so I'm just going to do
two layers of stitching.

I took out the other stitch. That
looks so much better. Right, OK.

I've just done a pocket.

It's not the tidiest in the world
but to me they look right.

I've done the pockets wrong.
I'm just going to get to the end.

Got to pick up the pace, I think.

We've got flaps to do still.

Oh, my gosh, get out!

The flaps not only have to fasten...

Just doing my buttonholes.

...they must sit
perfectly above the pocket.

Ooh, it's few layers of fabric now.

They'll have to do
because I need to be getting on.

How long have we got left?

DIALLING AND CONNECTION TONES

You've got half an hour left!

Ah... OK.

PROLONGED DIAL-UP CONNECTION TONE

That's how long
this is going to take to load.

There's still the thingy thingy
to do, the thingy thingy to do...

There's lots of thingies to do,
basically!

I'm just sewing up
the side seams now.

This is the bit that will make it
look like a pair of trousers.

It's not the easiest of fabric
to work with.

Keep going! Keep going!

Mia. Hello! How's it going?

I've got so many more steps but...

it's not about the end goal,
it's about the journey.

OK, Mia, you've completely
misunderstood this competition!

Almost got a troo-zer!
Just got to do the waistband now.

Let's go, go, go!

So the elastic goes in the waistband

before you fully sew
that waistband down... I think.

But it's tight on the waist

and then it's going to be baggy
everywhere else.

I feel like that's
just like '90s vibes.

Got to be careful
not to catch the elastic

and also not to hit any of the pins.

MACHINE THUDS

Ooh, that didn't sound good, did it?

I'm razzing things through
as quickly as I can.

Ten minutes left, everyone!

Oh, bloody hell,
never going to finish.

Right, hem.

I'm blaming the fact that
I wasn't alive in the '90s.

If anything goes wrong,
well, I wasn't actually there so...!

Still got a few steps to go,
and they're all hand-sewing.

I'm just about to sew on
my hook and bar which... Oh, great.

...which is the end
but I've got such sausage fingers.

Are you not going to wear a thimble?

Um... it's...
Are they too small for you?

I'd say they're too small for me.

I do like hand-sewing.
I don't like hand-sewing at speed.

I'm on the home straight but
I'll probably miss something again.

No, of course you won't.
This is it, last page.

It's 36. Well done!
Well done, have a cuppa.

Lovely. I like that.

Come on, Lizzie, come on,
come on, come on.

They are a bit of a mess, guys.
Oh, well.

Oh!

Buttons are more of
a finishing touch.

One that we do not have
time to finesse.

One minute left, everyone,
pants on mannequins!

Oh, Lord.

Oh, no, can't we have two minutes?

GRUNTING

Just give us two minutes.

Oh!

Needles up, sewers!

I've got to stop, haven't I?

Well, there we are.

That's it.

Come on, guys,
bring your mannequins over.

♪ I got a little somethin' for ya
I got a little somethin' for you...♪

Six pairs of cargo pants
made in just four and a half hours.

♪ ..I got a little somethin' for ya
I got a little somethin' for you

♪ I got a little somethin' for ya. ♪

SNIFFING

Is that Teen Spirit I can smell?!

Asmaa.

♪ I'll huff, I'll puff
I'll blow you away

♪ Say you will, say you won't
Say you'll do what I don't

♪ Say you're true, say to me

♪ C'est la vie. ♪

I think your cargo pants
look extremely neat.

You've got your bellows pocket
constructed correctly.

The zip is very neat.

The fabric's quite light,
it's quite silky.

It feels like the kind of fabric

we would've seen in the '90s
for these pants

but your side seam is a bit bouncy. Yeah.

That's the only thing really
I can find much to criticise here.

Absolutely spot-on.

♪ Never ever have I ever felt so low

♪ When you gonna take me
out of this black hole?

♪ Never ever have I
ever felt so sad... ♪

Overall... it looks a little untidy.

I can see
a row of double top stitching

down the middle of the fly.

Did you sew it in the wrong place
originally?

Yeah. I repositioned it.
Oh, OK.

You've sewn two rows of stitching
on the edge of the bellow.

You haven't managed
to get the button on.

I think it just feels like
you've had to rush at the end.

♪ Bye bye bye

♪ Don't want to be a fool for you

♪ Just another player
in your game for two

♪ You may hate me
But it ain't no lie

♪ Baby, bye bye bye
Bye bye! ♪

Well, I think obviously
an appropriate choice of fabric

for this type of trouser.

It looks a little bit like
you've had

a bit of a struggle with the zip
but it's not too bad.

Your pockets are
a little bit untidy.

It is a shame there are
these little threads

but actually
I think it's pretty good.

You're very fortunate that you chose
a camo because it is doing its job

and it's camouflaging all
your slightly untidy sewing. Yes!

♪ Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena

♪ Que tu cuerpo
es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena

♪ Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Hey, Macarena, ay! ♪

Right, let's look at the zip.

I feel it's a bit too close
to this edge.

Yeah, your fly guard
is only covering it

by a couple of millimetres.

You haven't caught the bellow

when you've been sewing
around the edge of the pocket.

Your buttonhole is quite neat
but we have no button.

You haven't done the hem.

I have noticed something, of course.

If the hook and bar had been well
sewn, they'd have been wearable.

As it is, they are
not quite wearable.

♪ No, no

♪ No, I don't want no scrub

♪ A scrub is a guy that
can't get no love from me

♪ Hangin' out the passenger side
of his best friend's ride... ♪

You've got the bar on

but it's completely squint
and the hook has fallen off.

The top of your zip
should be in the waistband.

We shouldn't see this.

It's quite a big mistake to have
the top of the zip... yes, I agree.

...sitting so far away
from the waistband.

Now, you've got no buttons.

Yeah.

And this flap looks a bit close
to the top of the pocket.

Also, it's quite bulky,
this seam here.

It's just making it sit
in a funny way.

Box pleat is nice and crisp.

I mean, this is a good fabric
for making this type of trouser

but it is a shame that the hook
and bar's not on because, again,

they're not wearable as they are.

♪ Get on down

♪ Slam dunk da funk, put it up
If you got that feeling

♪ Slam dunk da funk, put it up

♪ Put it up

♪ Slam dunk da funk, put it up... ♪

I think these look terrific.

Everything looks
absolutely bang-on.

The fabric looks great.

It really works really well.

You've got them finished.

The fly is well
and correctly constructed.

Flap is really neat.

The flap is the right distance
from the top of the pocket.

Buttonhole is the right size.

I think they look
absolutely fantastic.

I agree. It all works really well
together. Well done.

Thank you.

Patrick and Esme will now rank
the cargo pants from last to first.

In sixth place, it's Lizzie.

The zip didn't fasten
all the way to the top,

we're missing a hook,
we're missing buttons

and the top of those pocket flaps,
there's something going wrong there.

In fifth place is Mia.

You didn't do the hem,

you didn't get the buttons on,
you didn't finish.

In fourth place is Lauren,
and Tony is third.

In second place...

...Asmaa!

It's really crisply sewn,

just a bouncy seam
at the bottom of the leg.

In first place is Vicki.

APPLAUSE

We've got everything finished,
it was all really well sewn.

It looks great.
Thank you.

That's the first challenge
of '90s Week down.

Go and enjoy a Bacardi Breezer

and we'll see you back
here for Transformation.

♪ And you've got me,
so reach for the stars... ♪

I'm so pleased.

There's like barely any sewers left

so I think that makes it
even more wow.

I will take a bouncy seam any day,
thank you very much.

Very, very pleased.

I'm really disappointed
about coming last.

I actually understood the pattern
for once, which was brilliant,

and then something happened.

And I was a bit chatty.

For the next challenge, the '90s
tempo will be turned up a notch.

It's time now for
the Transformation Challenge.

Patrick, what are we doing
this week?

Well, for some of us,
the 1990s were all about the house.

WHISTLES HOUSE RIFF

LAUGHTER

I've even got some of these.

EXCLAMATIONS, LAUGHTER

We'd like you to transform
household textiles

into a fancy dress outfit
inspired by a '90s icon.

Not only can you have the textiles,

you can take whatever trimmings
you want from the haberdashery.

Now, this one is judged blind

so these guys are off to tape the
Top 40 off the radio! Off you go.

You have 90 minutes for this
challenge and your time starts now.

HOUSE MUSIC PLAYS

I'm taking this one.
Guys... Yes.

What is all this? A bit of pink fur!

Oh, my gosh! Look, guys.
There's glowsticks.

Look at the bath mat!

Why is there a Slinky?

I love a bit of fancy dress.
It has to be bad fancy dress.

That's kind of the energy I like.

We've had a quick shufty
around your flat

and we've pulled out all
these household textiles. I know.

Don't know how you're going
to keep your loo seat warm!

So '90s icons.

Lots of interesting textures,
textiles, patterns

but they have to think very clearly

about which icon
they are portraying.

They need to have an iconic outfit.

Spice Girls, Madonna, we want
to recognise who this person is.

I've found lots of pink

and then I found this kind of
more structured tablecloth.

So I'm thinking Madonna,
cone bra.

Ooh!

I am making Jennifer Lopez.

I have a picture in my head of
her wearing low-cut trousers

with a halter neck bra thing

and a furry jacket.

It's only three pieces.

It'll be fine, an hour and a half,
pfft!

Well, I'm sort of thinking
about The Prodigy, and Keith.

So I'm making
a little halterneck top.

Oh, Tony, I got the Union Jack too.

You got to be Geri Halliwell.
Yeah. Ginger Spice.

Secretly, everybody's
a fan of the Spice Girls.

If you get enough dancing juice
inside you...!

SHE SMOTHERS A GIGGLE

Just going for a pretty much
straightforward Geri dress.

I'm not going to do a dress
I don't think

cos I've only got
two pillow cases.

Think I'm going to do some
sort of like skirt thing and top.

Oh, why is it so hard
to make a cone?

RIPPING
Whoops.

I am starting to get very strong
Mel B vibes from this now.

Is that a codpiece?
What are you making?

I'm making a top!

This is great, we've got three
Spice Girls in one room. Have we?

Two Geris and a Scary.

I could just give you my leggings.

♪ Wicca-wicca-wicca! ♪

You're halfway through!

CHUCKLING

So I am now making
the halterneck top

and I am going to use ribbon
for the neck.

So it's going to go with
that eyelet ring like that.

Sew that bar there,
and that's a crop top.

Cones I'm going to cover with
the pink satin.

I think it's a bedsheet and
I'm just going to pin it for now

and make sure it stays up.

I don't want my cones to be saggy,
guys, OK?

CHUCKLES

That joins up to there.

It's got a mix-match pattern
at the bottom but... it might work.

You've got, um, a sister.

That's always a nice bit of
healthy competition over there.

All right!

Tony's always getting
straight on it.

I'm just making it up as I go along.

It was a duvet set
but now think I've got a dress.

This is a... Prodigy gig.

Is it not someone from The Prodigy?

Well, because it's a woman and there
weren't any women in the Prodigy.

What about this fur?

It's a toilet seat, isn't it?

Do you know who needs this?
Asmaa for her J-Lo.

That is absolutely something J-Lo
wore in the '90s.

Is that J-Lo?
It's going to have to be, innit?

Keep calm and cone on.

Happy about the crop top.

Now we are going on
to some trousers.

You've got half an hour left.

I feel like half an hour's
not very long.

Come on, Lizzie.

So these are capri-type trousers,
low rise...

which is very, I believe, J-Lo.

I'm just thinking a skirt
would be fine...

like that with
stripes down the side.

♪ This is the rhythm of the night

♪ The night, oh, yeah. ♪

I don't know if the judges are
going to get this in one at all.

I'm using some of this trim
to use as like straps

to keep the cone bra on.
CHUCKLES

Ten minutes left, everyone!

Oh, my God, OK, right.

Ooh, ooh.

Let's get it done.

I don't even know how I'm going to
do this jacket but there we are.

So now I'm just going to put
a... waistband in.

Just trying to get something
that looks a bit like a skirt.

I'm just wondering
if there's anything I can do

to sort of solidify the fact
that it is... Prodigy.

Do you think that's J-Lo?
It... is J-Lo, isn't it?

I didn't hang out with her a lot so
I don't know what she was wearing.

Is this looking a bit more Keith?

Just needs a standard stretch stitch
just to

get these side seams together.

I'm going for just like
a wrap skirt situation.

I'm just going to make
a little pocket for my glow sticks.

I like the fact that Geri
from the Spice Girls

is about to have a fight
with Nicole from All Saints.

How long have we got?
One minute left.

Ooh-yoy-yoy!

My fur is causing me
all sorts of bother.

These look quite cool.
I'd wear them.

Oh, my God.

Needles up, sewers!
Bring your mannequins forward

and mix them up
like I do the members of Boyzone.

Happy.

No... ooh! Hello.

♪ ..It will give you new life

♪ You're a superstar, yes
That's what you are, you know it

♪ Come on, vogue Vogue

♪ Vogue
Let your body groove...♪

Household textiles transformed into
six iconic '90s fancy dress outfits

and the judges have no idea
who has made who.

Seeing double... which might have
happened once or twice in the '90s.

♪ Come on, vogue Vogue

♪ Let your body go with the flow

♪ Go with the flow
You know you can do it. ♪

I think it works really well.

I mean, it's very obviously
the Madonna pointy bra.

I mean, I think they've
engineered it really nicely.

It fits on the mannequin
really well. It looks fun to wear.

The mini skirt is
a simple construction

but it's wrapped all the way round
so it's not going to

fall open and disgrace you
at the party.

Very good, like that a lot.

♪ I'm a firestarter
Twisted firestarter

♪ Twisted... ♪

I have no idea who it is. Stumped.

It definitely feels very '90s.

We've got a sort of multicoloured
neon very draped top

with a halterneck.

And this... Neon straps.

I think this binding's been put on.

The sort of head piece has been
chopped down from something.

Not very sure what
but it's very sculptural, isn't it?

This reminds me of somebody.

This little...

There was somebody or was it
one of those Swedish pop bands.

♪ I'm a Barbie girl
in a Barbie world. ♪

♪ If you had my love
And I gave you all my trust

♪ Would you comfort me? ♪

This pant shape was very '90s.
The very low-slung bumster trousers.

I like the top.

Obviously these kind of tops
were very...

Oh, they were very big,
weren't they? ..very '90s.

I don't know, is this Keith Flint
from the Prodigy

but done as a female outfit?

I have no idea who this is.

♪ Swing it, shake it,
move it, make it

♪ Who do you think you are?

♪ Trust it, use it,
prove it, groove it... ♪

OK, Esme, this is an easy one,
who's this? Ginger Spice!

What do you think this was?

Union Jack pillow case?

It's lined and, look,
they've thought about

how you get in and out of it.

Crossed back
with Velcro on this side.

And look what we have here.

A little glowstick pocket. Yeah.

Yeah, I think
it's pretty successful.

♪ Slam it to the left
If you're havin' a good time

♪ Shake it to the right
If ya know that you feel fine

♪ Chicas to the front
Ha-ha

♪ Go round. ♪

It's Ginger Spice take two,
isn't it? Yes.

This one IS a dress
rather than a two-piece.

Yeah. Drape at the front.
With a draped front.

And look, we've got this cross
over the bottom.

Yeah, I like the way they haven't
lined it up so that, you know,

the St George's Cross
runs all the way round. Yeah.

It's another '90s icon.

I mean, it just happens to be
the same '90s icon as

this '90s icon over here.

♪ Be just fine

♪ I'll tell you what I want,
what I really, really want

♪ So tell me what you want,
what you really, really want

♪ I wanna Ha! I wanna Ha!
I wanna Ha! I wanna Ha!

♪ I wanna really, really,
really wanna zigazig ah. ♪

I think it's fantastic.
I think this is Scary Spice.

And the leopard is
kind of a giveaway

but also this halterneck top
was something she wore a lot.

Um, I think the whole thing has been
constructed really, really well.

Very well made, actually.

Look, they've even turned
the waistband in.

The pants are actually a great fit.
They look really '90s in shape.

I think it's great.

The judges will now rank the outfits
from worst to best.

In sixth place is
the hairy waistcoat

with the marble top and bottom.

So who is it?

Jennifer Lopez.

I mean, the pants look vaguely J-Lo

but I wouldn't have got it
from the waistcoat.

In fifth place is...

the neon two-piece with... the ears.

That's Lizzie.

It's a lady raver at a Prodigy gig.

Lady raver goes to Prodigy.

In the battle of
the Geri Halliwells,

Vicki is fourth

and Tony is third.

In second place is...

...Madonna.

That's Mia.
Very iconic for Madonna.

So our winner is Scary Spice.

And that's Lauren.

APPLAUSE

Well, big '90s icon,
fantastically represented.

We knew instantly.

But also a fantastic outfit.
Really nicely made, so well done.

I feel on top of the world.

This is the first time I've come
first so this is... incredible.

I'm convinced that
what I made was J-Lo

but they just couldn't see it.

It wasn't great, was it?

I'm a bit worried about tomorrow

because it feels like there's
a lot riding on this now for me.

CONTESTANTS LAUGH

There's just one chance
left in '90s Week

for the sewers to secure
a place in the quarterfinal.

So how's it going? Whose mood ring
should be bright blue?

In the pattern challenge we had two
really good pairs of cargo pants.

I agree, yeah.
Those were Asmaa's and Vicki's.

Tony finished
but it wasn't very neat and tidy.

Lauren almost finished -
not very neat and tidy.

Quite surprisingly, Lizzie
and Mia sitting at the bottom.

Did Transformation change anything?

Well, it certainly changed things
for Lauren.

Her Scary Spice transformation
was fantastic.

And then we've got Madonna,
of course. Yeah.

Mia was second bottom
in the pattern challenge

but her Madonna-inspired
conical bra... Yeah.

...outfit was fantastic.

What about Lizzie?

I liked the colours
and the mix of fabrics

but I had no idea who it was...
Yeah. ..at all.

But Asmaa also didn't make
a recognisable '90s icon.

So is anyone safe?

At the point we're at now... no.

It's really close.

Anybody could nail it but also
anybody could fail it. Yeah.

MUSIC: Insomnia by Faithless

For their final '90s challenge...

Hello, mate.

Chains!

The mannequins have gone

and the sewers will be making
for their models.

Welcome back, sewers,
and hello to our models

who I hope didn't get out
of bed for less than £10,000

because, for this week's
made-to-measure,

the judges have asked you to create

an outfit inspired by
'90s supermodels.

They wore dresses that accentuated
their figure and fit like a glove -

a glove that cost £1 million.

You have five hours
for this challenge

and your time... starts now.

MUSIC: Freedom! by George Michael

Here we go, then, mate.

The sewers have practised at home.

Oh, this is a lot.

But this will be their first
'90s supermodel dress fitting.

I feel out of my comfort zone.

Never made anything
like this before.

I have never made
a supermodel dress in my life.

♪ Freedom!
I won't let you down... ♪

Supermodels like Claudia Schiffer,

Naomi Campbell and
Christy Turlington

dominated the daring fashion
of the '90s

both on and off iconic catwalks.

What are you expecting
from our sewers today?

We've given them five hours

so I think we expect to see
something quite opulent

and quite complex
in its construction. OK.

There are some quite iconic looks
from that era

and it was usually
very body-skimming,

there was quite a lot of flesh
on show.

There were very beautiful fabrics,
lots of golds and blacks... Yeah.

...and lots of embellishment, yeah,
lots of jewellery. Yeah, absolutely.

And it has to be really well fitted.

Well, I'm just going to go and check
the models aren't throwing things.

See you in a bit.

Let me just take
a measurement from here.

With the judges expecting
figure-flaunting dresses

that defined the '90s,

nailing the perfect fit...

THEY GIGGLE

...has never been more important.

It looks really small but it's
meant to be snug on a bustier.

It is, yeah.

I think this is like my own thing
about my own body.

I'm so worried about things
not fitting that I oversize.

Vicki's satin floor-length dress
will feature a figure-hugging bodice

structured with boning,
encased in ivory satin -

to celebrate her model's curves.

I did some research into
plus-size models of the era

which are not like
massively existent. Yeah.

But I found an American lady
that I just felt really inspired by

and she'd worn some outfits
of a similar style.

I think the lady's name
if I'm pronouncing it right is Emme.

So I'm a little bit nervous
about the fit of the bodice.

All of those ivory cased bones

are going to be very,
very visible, aren't they? Mm.

Another sewer with a dress that will
leave nowhere to hide is Asmaa.

One of the fashion trends
was underwear as outwear.

And I do have a background
in bra-making.

I can't actually remember the
last time I bought a ready-made bra.

Asmaa's ambitious
boned bustier dress

will be overlayed with black lace,

stretched jersey
and pleather-trimmed cups.

Five adjustable buckled straps
will fasten around the neck and back

and she's finishing the look
with a fishtail skirt.

Is there a particular designer
or supermodel it was inspired by?

Um, Azzedine Alaia. Alaia, yeah.
Alaia, yeah, he was a Tunisian Arab.

Amazing designs. I'm not going
to get anywhere close to that.

I think it could look
absolutely amazing.

We'll let you get on.
Thank you very much.

You've got quite a lot to do.
I have, as per usual.

Mia's also going for
an attention-grabbing look...

It's a bit different
to what I usually do.

...inspired by THE most iconic dress
of the '90s.

It started with the famous
Liz Hurley dress with the kilt pins.

I went to the charity shop
and bought lots of gold chains

and I've spray painted them
all the same colour.

I'm going to do like chain straps
and chains in the slit of the dress

and things like that
so there's a lot of drama.

I feel like that's quite '90s.

Mia's bling-embellished
black velvet dress

will be created
from a panelled bodice

and midi skirt with
a thigh-skimming slit

joined together with
jewels and chains.

I'm just trying to work out
what direction to cut the velvet

because it's got a direction to it,
it's got a nap.

So I'm focusing on that

because I'm sure that's something
the judges will notice.

I'm sure it's this way.

Direction of cut isn't
just an issue for Mia.

This dress is cut on the bias.

So if you look at Mia's, she's
cutting the direction of the fabric.

Whereas with a bias-cut dress

you're actually cutting your pieces diagonally

and it should basically
sweep across the body.

Lauren plans to sew black bamboo
silk into a cowl-neck slit dress

held up with delicate
spaghetti straps.

I loved the whole slip dress
of the '90s

so you had like the famous one
of Kate Moss

where she's very nude underneath.

The thing with a bias cut dress
is they look really simple

but... it's a challenge
to execute it.

After a difficult day yesterday...

It's annoying me that

I'm not showing the judges
what I'm capable of.

...Lizzie's also hoping to impress
with a bias-cut slit dress.

I think the measuring is
really important on this challenge.

So I've taken my time
with my pattern.

She's planning to transform
her super-light liquid gold satin

into a plunging slip dress
reminiscent of a '90s rock chick.

We're going for the Courtney Love
sort of effect.

This isn't a sort of razz-through,
this one.

No, it's a "do it all really well".

I'm either going to shine in glory
or go out in flames.

This is what the boning
actually looks like.

And then I've wrapped it
in strips of fabric.

While most sewers are achieving
the supermodel look

with flesh-revealing curves...

I do like working with
bras and underwear

because it's little seams,
it's structured.

...while most sewers are achieving
the supermodel look

with revealing garments...

I'm doing a full-length dress,
two-toned

with a side split and
a high neck and full arms.

...Tony's dress will see
a dramatic black and beige

colour block contrast
created by a diagonal seam.

To me, the whole thing is
that it's... crisp.

You can see I'm having to pin it
within an inch of its life

just to make sure it doesn't move.
Scuba - it's such a slippy fella.

There's no point
measuring the boob... Yeah.

...because it's going to
just be draping off. Yeah.

Is this a boob? Yeah, it's a boob.

Don't stretch it. Well...

Don't stretch the boob. ..quite
the opposite, I could fit both in!

So I'm just going to drape
the lace on top.

Do you remember any favourite
story books from the '90s? Um, so...

WHISPERS: ..don't tell anyone.
I got into Mills Boon.

I know.
That's not what I was expecting.

So my way of practising and
learning English was Mills Boon.

Was it? It was. Wow. I know,
I don't know why I said that.

Yeah, that's OK.
I'm OK about that.

So that's the first cup
that's gone in.

I'm very happy with that.

With an hour already gone...

This is incredibly scary,
doing this.

...most of the sewers are moving on
to the figure-enhancing seams...

I'm really ready to start sewing.

Oh, come on, Lizzie.

...and those who have started are
finding their fabric challenging.

I was worried that the seams
were going to drag a bit

and they have like a tiny bit.

Velvet seems to be a lot more
demanding than I thought.

The satin's really tricky.

The skirt's in... seven pieces.

Can I get this on super quick?!

I'm beginning my French seam.

All of your hems
on the inside are all enclosed

so you don't have any like
frayed edges touching your skin.

But this bamboo silk is
a nightmare to work with.

I'm starting with
the tiniest of French seam.

And I instantly feel better,
the needle's going in.

I'm taking a lot more time
to be more precise.

SHE SIGHS HEAVILY
This is nerve-racking.

Sewing slippy fabric on the bias

is a bit like working with
shortcrust pastry.

Like, the less you handle it
the better.

So far, I'm happy with that.

I'm trying to go quite high
with my slit

just because there's going to be
chains in it as well,

it's not going to be just open.

MUSIC: Around The World by Daft Punk

No, but he definitely does
like you because he was looking
at your mouth when you were talking

which is one of the signs...
You're halfway through!

Oh, come on, Lizzie.

Does it feel supported?

Do you think it would be better
with straps for comfort?

I don't want you to feel like
you're having to pull it up.

While Vicki makes a decision
on whether to go strapless...

It could actually be OK like this.

...Asmaa's making multiple adjustable
straps to keep everything in place.

I am now cutting the pleather
for the back straps

and then I need another one which
will be longer for the halterneck.

And while Mia's depending on
her gold bling for security...

I'm going to hand-sew the chain on
for the straps,

you know, they're quite chunky

so I don't think it'll fit
under the machine.

...Lauren and Lizzie...

Right... straps.

...are relying on just
two delicate spaghetti straps

to hold up their
slinky slip dresses.

You sew the strap

to create like a narrow strip.

Then, with that narrow strip,
you turn it

to create an even narrower strip!

Ooh, I've just sewn over pins!

I should be a lot calmer doing this.

Ooh!

So you have two spaghetti straps.

There we go.

Oh, do you know what,
I'm going to do it strapless.

The leather is not
the easiest to work with.

Wow, look at this.
This is Mills and Boon, isn't it?

Don't you think?
Are you pleased with how it's going?

I am actually, for a change

Give me a cheer for me, woohoo!

Because you haven't, um, won Garment
Of The Week yet, have you? No.

I've enjoyed making this
and I really do hope it shows.

You've got half an hour left.

No! Don't be so daft.

OK. I'm just going to go
really fast.

This is a lot.

Asmaa - I think she's just got
to attach the skirt.

Finish off the straps.

Oh, it's just not sewing.

Come on, mate, don't do this to me
in the last hurdle.

What about Lizzie?

Lizzie still has a lot to do.

I've got a bit of ground to make up
so I'm just head in the zone.

She still has to finish
assembling the bodice

and it's a very delicate fabric.

It's going to be quite raunchy.
I hope you're all right with that!

MODEL LAUGHS

Get your cleavage out!

Look, Lauren is doing
a bias-cut dress as well.

The thing is that
the simpler the garment,

the better the sewing has to be. Yeah.

Tony's been doing
a very meticulous and thorough job

but he's still got to add the neck.

There we go.

This is me without my hat
and glasses by the way!

Mia's still got
all of the embellishment to do

and of course the chains
are what are keeping it up.

And also give it impact. Give it all
the character, absolutely. Yeah.

How much chain can I add
in 25 minutes?

Vicki seems to be getting on OK.

I'm intrigued to see
where she's actually put the boning.

I was going to do a bone details
over here on the waist

but I quite like it without, actually.

Argh.

I've just used quite a big
stretch stitch because it's...

There's a lot of tension there

and I'm kind of worried that
the stitch is a bit too long.

I could do another row of
narrower stitches

which, in my mind, will look better.

I'm just going to sew them on you.

I would love to get
all the chains on

but I think that's a bit unrealistic

so I'm going to at least
get the shoulder straps on.

It's falling a bit more at the front
than it is at the back

so I'm just figuring out
where I'm going to trim that hem.

I'm sort of wondering if
it's like there, or floor-length.

Is that a big snug?
No, it's absolutely fine.

That's a good position
for a strap. isn't it?

Yeah, it's perfect. Spot-on.

Oh, gosh.

How long have we got?

Ten minutes left!

Oh, God.

Got ten minutes to do
the quickest hem ever.

OK, whip it off.

Right, time to do the neck... again.

I wanted to put chain
like all down the leg in the slit.

In that sort of like Versace-esque
'90s... Yeah.

But at least I've got it on the top.
Yeah, absolutely. Ah!

I've done a rolled hem
for the first time. Yay!

I still don't like the front there.

It doesn't look nice!
CHUCKLES

I haven't actually checked the skirt

but, you know what,
it's just going to have to do.

This is proper seat-of-the-pants,
this is.

Come on, Lizzie, come on.

Just popping my head in
to check how it's going.

Ugh! Uh-oh, OK, bye.

We've got something which isn't
as puckered as it was before.

Oh, my God, I've finished.

It's a bit wobbly hem
but at least it's hemmed.

Ugh.

This should be a moment recorded
in history. I'm not flapping.

One minute left!
Get your supermodels dressed.

Ooh!

Get ready to receive, Gem.

Wiggle in... there we are.

Just shimmy shimmy.

Does it feel a bit snug?
No, it's good.

OK, well, this is terrifying.

Needles up, sewers!

Cheers, lovely.

So '90s, babes.

Phew!

Done! Done, done.

You look stunning. I can't move,
cos my legs are tied together.

Let's celebrate the end of the
decade with a supermodel catwalk.

Oh, no! There's a b...

There's a bit of seam showing there.
Oh, bloody hell.

That is absolutely fantastic, mate. Wonderful.

♪ I'm every woman
It's all in me

♪ Anything you want done, baby

Six '90s supermodel dresses
made in just five hours.

♪ I'm every woman
It's all in me

♪ I can read your thoughts... ♪

Looks terrific.
Beautifully fitted.

It's got real impact.

The way that you've encased
all of that boning

and laid it on the top and made
a really distinctive feature of it

is absolutely fantastic

and you've handled it all
fantastically well.

I think it's a big shame that we
haven't got the white on the waist

because these white stripes

almost feel like
they should come all the way down.

You've not managed these seams
in the skirt beautifully well.

You've maybe dragged it a little bit
when you've sewn it. Yeah.

But overall it's really stunning.
It looks awesome. Thank you.

♪ Return of the Mack
It is

♪ Return of the Mack
Come on

♪ Return of the Mack
Oh, my God

♪ You know that I'll be back
Here I am

♪ Return of the Mack
Once again. ♪

What do you think about
the length of this slit?

A bit of a drama element.

It is a bit of drama.

I think it's a little bit too high.

I mean, if it was here

I think it would've been better.

I could see your influence here.

To me, it looks like a Versace.

I just wish there were more chains.

I would've much rather you
hadn't got the chain on the leg

and you'd had a couple more
drapes on the top.

We've got a bit of a lump here.

I mean, we know that velvet
is hard to sew

but it does look great
and it fits very nicely at the top.

I think overall it looks stunning.

It's got absolutely the vibe
that we were looking for.

It is just a shame that you
didn't get all that chain on.

It's still very, very good.
Thank you.

♪ Rhythm is a dancer
It's a soul's companion

♪ You can feel it everywhere

♪ Lift your hands and voices
Free your mind and join us

♪ You can feel it in the air. ♪

I like the overall look of it.

It looks extremely well sewn,
it looks very delicate.

I think it looks good.

But can you see we've got
a little bit of drape here.

If it's not exactly
on the same grain,

one side will drop
more than the other. Yeah.

I would've expected the straps
to be a little thinner.

I think on a spaghetti strap,
I would want them...

CLICKS TONGUE
...even smaller than they are.

I think the drape on the front
bodice has worked really nicely.

It looks a little bit tight
across the bust.

It's just a little big
across the small of the back.

I mean, it really does
need to skim the body.

The bottom hem,
it's just kicking out.

Given how overall simple
the dress is,

I would have expected that finish
just a little bit more refined.

♪ To have a little fun and

♪ Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free, yeah,

♪ To feel the way I feel

♪ Man, I feel like a woman

♪ Hey! ♪

This dress succeeds or fails

by the precision with which
you sew all of those seams.

And we see this
incredibly sharp diagonal seam

right across the front.
Thank you.

You've nailed it.

It's a shame
the neck is a bit wobbly.

It's got quite a lot of drape
under the arm.

Can you see how we've got drape here.

Yeah, I can see that now, yeah. Yeah.

But no, Tony, I think it's a simple
garment brilliantly ex*cuted

but it's a really nice idea. Thank
you. Yeah. Thank you very much.

♪ Futures made of
virtual insanity now

♪ Always seem to be governed by
this love we have

♪ For useless twisting... ♪

I think it looks very,
very reminiscent of

the 1990s kind of supermodel period.

Overall I think it looks
very glamorous.

A difficult fabric to handle

and because of
the metallic finish on it

it shows every wrinkle.

The most obvious being
the bottom hem

which you've... unfortunately
I think you've stretched

so it's giving us a wobbly kind
of fluted bottom.

This is supposed to be
a French seam.

You've got raw edge all
the way from there to there.

I feel this edge
should have been shorter.

Can you see how it sort of bags.

Your spaghetti straps
are phenomenal.

I just think unfortunately
you spent a huge amount of time

constructing that bodice

and that's probably why
you had to rush your bottom hem

and we've got a raw seam
at the side.

Mm, yeah. Thank you.

♪ You know what you are, you are

♪ Sexbomb, sexbomb
You're a sexbomb, yeah

♪ You can give it to me when I need
to come along, gimme something

♪ Sexbomb, sexbomb
You're my sexbomb. ♪

It's crap.
Oh, no, not again!

LAUGHS
I'm joking, I'm joking!

It looks amazing.
It's really fabulous

and I know that you make bras
and things, don't you? Yeah.

So that's why you get this
really good shape over the bust.

You've done a really good job...
Thank you. ..with difficult fabric.

I love that we've got
this scalloped edge of the lace

falling over the top of
this leather skirt

and over the top of this leather
section at the bust.

Every little detail has been

beautifully thought through
and impeccably ex*cuted.

The only slightly negative thing
I'm going to say is

that it could've been
a bit shorter. Yes.

But it's got hints of Alaia.
It's got hints of Versace.

OK. Yeah, it's a knockout.
Thank you. At long last, thank you.

I have to say it was the first time

that I looked at what I had made
and I was pleased with it.

I couldn't really afford
to make the mistakes I did

so I feel pretty dicey
at the moment.

It's always hard to predict
what's going to happen.

Therefore it's tense, it's really,
really tense. It's nerve-racking.

♪ We've come so far

♪ And we've reached so high. ♪

So, who's the star of the show?

The Gary Barlow, if you will?

Vicki's I think worked really well.

I love the white lines and all that,

I just wish she'd put one
on the waist.

Where's your Robbie Williams?

Here's R... And here he is,
old Robbie. Cheeky chappy.

It fit to perfection.

And the quality of the sewing
throughout is absolutely impeccable.

What about the other end,
who's down at the bottom?

I think I'm pretty clear
on who goes home

and I suspect you might be as well.
I am.

Well, let's go and see who's going
to be partying like it's 1999.

♪ Never

♪ Forget where you've come here from

♪ Never... ♪

Well, the end of the '90s
is upon us.

It's time to return
to the modern world

with its fantastic WiFi
and weak pound.

But first,
here's Patrick with some great news.

Our Garment Of The Week
this week is...

CHEERING

...Asmaa!

Well done. Well done.

Often the bridesmaid,
finally the bride.

Um, this was exquisite.

The finish was impeccable,
the fit was incredible

and it was such a beautiful design.

It really encapsulated
everything we wanted, well done.

Thank you very much.

Sadly, we have to say goodbye
to another person.

And that person is...

...Lizzie.

I know.

Ooh, I'm going to get... upset again.

It's just been a really lovely sense
of connection with my mum...

...who hasn't been around for,
you know, since I was 12.

And this experience
has been a chance to

sink into something that
she gave me back then

because she's the one
that taught me how to sew.

She was an amazing sewer.

So in a way being here's
just meant that

there's something of her that
I've been able to really enjoy.

I think you're all so amazing.

Go on, get in.
You're so amazing. I'm so sorry.

It's been a long wait
and the feeling is just amazing.

I have said a number of times already

that I'm not an emotional person

but that's just rubbish,
to be honest with you,

because... being on this show
has proven

that I'm actually quite emotional.

Next time, it's Fashion Icon Week.

It's the week we say
this time they've gone too far!

GIGGLING

And the sewers take on
the epitome of elegance

in the pattern challenge,

get thrown in at the deep end
in the transformation.

Something quite naughty
about a waterproof pant.

...and take on a mind-boggling
menswear made-to-measure.

It's like a maze.

Who will be a fashion icon?

I have never seen a shawl collar
with this amazing scalloped edge.

And who will be a fashion I can't?

Such a shame.