Fashion is the name of the game on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Episode 5.
Style and construction challenges have taken down even the most seasoned of queens. If they don’t have a keen eye for fashion or the skills to create a look, they could be next walking off the main stage.
During a team challenge like this, it became clear who brought the marvel and the mess.
“House of Fashion” was an easy and breezy round that worked better with the faster 1-hour pacing.
Compared to RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Episode 4, which felt too rushed, the momentum slowed down a touch better. We were able to engage with the queens and get more scenes of them preparing for the runway.
Part of this tone could be from the Maxi Challenge being only a construction runway.
In past episodes where this happened, the plot felt much more focused. No filler or extra scenes jammed in to hit every checkmark; the pacing was much more straightforward in giving us the story.
And while the editing didn’t hit every mark successfully, “House of Fashion” was a brighter spot than in some previous weeks.
Eventually, the pacing should even itself out as more queens go home. Though, the original hour-and-a-half format is still the best approach to do for RuPaul’s Drag Race.
One of the moments where it didn’t work was during the Mini Challenge. Why did the Drag Race editing do the challenge so dirty?!
The “Reading is Fundamental!” Mini Challenge is an iconic game that returns every season.
We live for every zinger, one-liner, and roast that the queens dish out. Sometimes these lines are the funniest jokes that cut deep and live on for years.
[In confessional] In Untucked, Marcia tried to dim my light. She tried to come for me, so I had to let her know that it wasn’t giving. She wasn’t giving.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks
It was a travesty that each queen got reduced in the editing to just one zinger each. Undoubtedly, there had to be multiple funnier jokes that didn’t make it to air that we’ll never see. The editing took away from the fans, and it took away from the queens having their moment.
And in the rare case where a queen got more than one joke, it blatantly told us who would win. Come on, Loosey LaDuca got three jokes aired! She was going to win; her jokes were hilarious, but the editing took the fun away.
The Maxi Challenge featuring the fashion houses was much more evenly paced. Each queen got their spotlight moment to showcase their ensembles, and the editing showcased which queens had better sewing skills than others.
Plus, we got the return of the RuPaul walkthroughs!
We missed out on RuPaul critiquing the celebrity choices before Snatch Game, which was a glaring hole. However, having the walkthroughs returned this time brought back a dose of what we were missing.
RuPaul’s walkthroughs are essential for the flow of the round. The queens get a hint about what RuPaul is thinking. We, as viewers, learn a lot about who might excel and who might fail. And the tension is ramped up before the runway.
It’s a must for these types of challenges.
Now, let’s get to the fashion house looks!
For Team #1 (the House of Kressley), the overall vibe of this group had weaker outfits and cohesion. The mix of dark plaid with leather led the team in different directions: some queens went for a school theme while others tried a warrior-inspired style.
For example, Robin Fierce’s outfit. Her pleated skirt and leather shoulder piece was the best of both worlds. Her ensemble was stylish and connected to both sides of her group.
Spice: A part of me feels like, I look at her stuff, there are some girls who don’t deserve to be here.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks: Like who?
Spice: I’m not saying, but we know who. You know what I mean?
Mistress Isabelle Brooks: No, girl, say a name. Fuck it.
Spice: It’s very obvious.
I loved Jax’s Heathers inspiration, but the theme has been done to death on Drag Race. And unfortunately, other queens have done it better. The outfit needed to fit better to accentuate the 80s aesthetic.
Anetra’s sexy two-piece ensemble felt unfinished, especially in the bottom half. And Salina EsTitties’s ensemble with the comforter cape had too much going on. I agreed with the judges that the outfit didn’t fit well; if she had focused on a few key areas and pulled back in others, the look would’ve been great.
Team #2 (the House of Mathews) had the most obvious connection. The tropical resort theme and the palm trees print were smart choices to tie everyone together.
Beyond Sasha Colby’s JLO-inspired bikini dress, the rest of the looks felt safe.
Sasha’s bikini was sexy and stunning; the fitting looked tailor-made to her body. Pairing it with the flowing cape/jacket heightened the fun on the runway, making the entire outfit more elevated than it was.
[In confessional] It’s my first day without Sugar and I’m a little scared. But I know she’s probably at home being like, “You better eat those girls up!” And I will. Maybe a little spoonful at a time, but I will eat them up.
Spice
On the other side, Loosey’s jumpsuit, Malaysia Babydoll Foxx’s pink mini dress and headpiece, and Marcia Marcia Marcia’s flowy tropical dress were all lovely and straightforward. Each look did well to capture the theme of the group and the style of each queen.
Nothing too mind-blowing to steal the show. However, nothing too shocking that should’ve landed them at the bottom.
Team #3 (the House of Visage) had another solid connective theme with gold, black, and animal prints. However, while some of the queens came across as stylish, others did look a bit crafty.
Luxx Noir London easily stole the show! Her zebra-print pants and stunning violet trio top/cape/headpiece came together into one amazing high-fashion ensemble. She exuded haute couture the second she stepped on the runway. If the outfit didn’t snatch her the victory, her walk got it for her.
[In confessional] Baby, Sugar has left the building! My heart really goes out to Spice because now that they’re separated, I can feel like a part of Spice is missing.
Salina EsTitties
Mistress Isabelle Brooks wore another glamorous gown that accentuated all her features and curves. And both Aura Mayari’s golden boss bitch and Spice’s zebra cut-out dress dominated sex appeal and style. All three went for fierce and fabulous, which they snatched with ease.
Amethyst’s golden flowing dress wasn’t terrible by any means. The final outfit came out well, and she looked great in it.
Though, if she had made a few minor aesthetic changes, like removing the gold lining on the bodysuit and reducing the length of the flowing fabric, she could’ve been safe. And the grey animal shawl could’ve been dropped completely. All Amethyst needed were a few good tweaks to push her ahead.
Though, when it came to the lip-sync of “Q.U.E.E.N.” by Janelle Monáe, her luck ran out.
Does anyone else agree that it was a close battle between her and Salina EsTitties? Both queens brought the sass and sex appeal to the main stage for this number. Neither was willing to give up and go home.
Where I think Salina pushed ahead was in her stunts and energy. With this being Salina’s first time at the bottom, she had a lot to lose and wanted to impress. You could feel the energy of her wanting to stay and prove the judges wrong.
Amethyst had the energy too, but with this being her third time at the bottom, she didn’t have the same fire as Salina. Nothing was going to stop Salina from staying.
Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:
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The best reads came from Loosey, but I want to know what other zingers we missed!
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Spice should’ve owned it that she thought Aura should’ve been at the bottom. She wouldn’t have been completely wrong based on the Snatch Game performance.
- How do queens still not know how to sew when they go on Drag Race?! It’s the same mistake queens make every year. It’s baffling!
Now, over to you, Drag Race fans.
What did you think of “House Of Fashion”?
Which runway look was your favorite? Are you sad to see Amethyst go? Who is the next queen to win the next Maxi Challenge?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.