- Hi, guys. - -Hello, judges. - Hi!
- Hi, Tim. - -Hi, Heidi.
I can hear your hearts beat.
- Yes.
This was fantastic, you guys.
We loved your pop-ups.
Seeing your merchandising and also your retail concepts
really brought your brands to life today.
I can't believe we're down to our final three.
We have been on such an amazing journey together,
and we don't want to see any of you go home.
We discussed each of your pop-up shops,
and, as always, we have thoughts and some questions for each of you.
To be honest, I'm hoping
that they will say, "Hey, guys, you all did an amazing job.
We are not sending home someone."
This is what I'm hoping.
As you know, we're here to find the designer who can create the next great global brand.
And as you know, the designer behind the brand is just as important
as the clothes that you create.
We're looking for an entrepreneur and a fashion designer.
So, the conversation that we're having right now
could change everything for you.
Unfortunately, only two of you will move forward to the final fashion show
and to pitch your brands to Amazon.
Alright, Jonny, we want to talk to you first.
Let's do it.
Hi.
Jonny, tell us about your pop-up store from today.
My pop-up store was showing the debut of my namesake brand. Jonny Cota.
And today, my collection was called Metamorphosis,
and it was kind of a representation of everything I've experienced on this journey,
kind of really peeling back some of the dark layers... which I still love...
you know, the dark layers of SkinGraft,
and out of that came this kind of beautiful, softer side of myself.
"Metamorphosis" is such a perfect word,
because, you know, I haven't seen you since Paris.
And to watch what you have developed and what you have become since then
is really just so magical.
I mean, it's crazy. Like, I walked into your store today,
and I was like, "Oh, my God, I got it."
I thought you did an incredible, incredible job.
I just love the pop-up so much.
I love it, like the mix between the concrete
and, like, all the life coming out, the leaves.
The accessories were insane.
I think your brand is so effortlessly cool.
- And it's something that people want. -Thank you.
- I loved your pop-up shop. -Thank you.
You stuck true to you
and didn't go off and do something trying to be different.
- Right. -You know?
You stuck to what you wanted to do and elevated and went from there.
I'm very, very happy and very proud of you, Jonny.
Thank you so much.
I feel so proud of what you've achieved.
You very much feel like a brand.
To be honest, I've always been a bit nervous about signing it with my name,
putting my name out there, and so...
- It's a scary thing. -It's a scary thing.
So, my motivation was definitely to win the prize,
but most importantly, for the debut of my collection,
with my name on it, to be the best collection of my life.
To me, it didn't look like a pop-up shop.
- It looked like a shop. - -It looked like a shop.
It looked like a shop, like, I feel like you elevated it by that much.
In the beginning, I wasn't sure if you were maybe kind of this one-trick pony,
and you have, like, your jacket,
and you're gonna redo this over and over and over again
with many different versions.
Obviously, throughout being here on Making the Cut,
you've shown that there's way more layers to you than that, and, you know,
especially with what you showed us today, what a great brand you are.
- Thank you, guys. - -Thank you, Jonny.
Okay, Sander.
- Hey, guys. - -Hi.
Hi.
So, please tell us about your pop-up shop.
I think I represented the Sander Bos brand very well.
For the finale, I really wanted to stand out
and it really came that it was kind of an idea of the 95%
and how that I was gonna do it with my design aesthetic,
'cause that's something that I never want to lose,
which is basically founded mostly in tailoring
and in cutting stuff in a certain kind of way.
And then, I kind of came up with the idea of how we're gonna do it in the store,
with the in-house tailoring.
And that, I have to say, was a huge plus point,
because I think that we all need tailoring.
I mean, who can just go into a store and put something on,
and it fits immediately?
So, I thought that was a great idea.
Yeah, because I was thinking, if it's global,
let's say I have a shop in India and I have a shop in Sweden,
there's a 20-centimeter already height difference.
Where are we gonna put that in the pants?
You know what I mean? And that's why I went that route.
What you've showed today made me see how broad your spectrum is,
how broad you can go,
because today I found your clothes very young.
- Like me. -From my perspective, as a model,
it's great to be not predictable,
but for the online customer, you need to be a little more predictable.
The part that was a little bit of a disconnect for me
was that the pieces you were tailoring were kind of like t-shirts.
Like, it wasn't true tailoring.
And I think had there been, I think, a stronger correlation
between the idea of having pieces tailored to you and a tailor in the shop,
I think that might have been more successful for me.
I thought the store was super young, millennial, fun,
very, like, I got your spirit within the store.
I think the graphic Miss Bos shirt would definitely be your biggest seller, you know?
I thought it was really amazing.
- Thank you guys so much. - -Thank you.
Okay, Esther.
You're up next.
Esther, tell us about your pop-up shop.
I wanted to really see how a more accessible line would look like.
And the idea of the store was really coming back to the beginning,
when I told you, like,
my... the DNA is the three cities.
It's like Berlin, Moscow, and Paris.
So, it is the roughness of Berlin, it's the sophistication, it's the art,
and so, I wanted to have with these black ropes,
like an art installation.
It was a lot of fun shopping in your store.
And I feel like you achieved all the things that you just described.
It was very sophisticated. You roped me in with all the ropes.
It's just the little details.
I love also that you put your jewelry in there,
because this is what we also know you for.
It looked like a real store. I loved it.
I felt when I walked into your world,
just forgot where I was.
I was in your world.
But I just felt the warm energy, it's inviting.
I wanted to see everything that was in your world.
Because it's like I'm getting a piece of you.
I really loved your shop.
The rope idea was just really genius.
But I think there are ways of integrating the idea
that black is central to your collection without always having to do black.
Concerning the colors, yeah, we've been through this journey already.
And I tried again when I was back in Berlin.
I bought a lot of white or off-white fabrics,
and I started to work with that.
And I just didn't feel it, because it didn't look coherent.
Mm-hmm.
And I thought, like, the collection is only, like, 14 looks.
I threw out these looks with the white, because when I saw...
- It wasn't right. -...it was so much stronger, and...
And then, therefore, it's good that you did.
Because at the end of the day, you have to go with your gut,
- and it did look super strong. -Yeah.
You will run into having to put color in your collection.
It's just something that you're gonna run into.
It's gonna be up to you to make the decision, "Do I want to be that big,
or do I want to stick with who I am?"
Sticking to who you are and, like,
doing absolutely every single thing you want to do is the dream.
It's also not a reality, you know?
Unless you decide that you want to have a smaller business.
How big do you want to be?
Thank you, Esther.
- Thank you, everybody. - -Thank you.
Sander, Esther, Jonny, will you all three come forward?
Unfortunately, only two of you will move forward
to our final assignment,
and one of you is not making the cut.
Jonny...
you are today's winner.
Cool.
Oh, Jonny!
- Congratulations. -Thank you so much. Thank you.
Jonny, your asymmetrical black dress
earned the most sales.
Your look will be immediately available on Amazon
in the Making the Cut store.
- Awesome. -You're making the cut. Congratulations.
- Thank you. Thank you. - -Congratulations.
- Awesome! Thank you so much. - -Congratulations.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Today, I shine,
and it's filling me with all the fuel and all the confidence that I need
going into the final runway.
Esther, Sander...
unfortunately, one of you is not making the cut.
Judges, have any of you changed your mind?
Sander...
I'm sorry, you're not making the cut.
Sander, you're so talented.
I mean, you have such a successful future ahead of you.
We love what you do.
And we did not want to make this decision.
- I want to hug you. -Come here.
You are fresh out of the incubator,
and your trajectory is phenomenal.
- Just phenomenal.
- Here, here. - -Yep.
Who knows where I'll be in ten years? Honey!
Sander, this one is for you!
I've come a long way from flipping hamburgers.
- Come here. - -You're awesome.
- Thank you. -Keep following your dreams, always.
I know where I belong, and I know what I can do.
These two hands and everything that goes in between that,
this is the alpha and this is the omega, and I'm everything in between, honey.
I'm not worried about nothing. Of course you're gonna hear about me.
You're gonna be wearing me very soon. That's what you're gonna do.
See you, guys! I love you!
We love you.
Oh.
So heartbreaking.
- That was hard. - -Mm-hmm.
Esther...
Congratulations. You're making the cut.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Now, it's going head to head for the final fashion show.
- Oh, yeah. -Head to head.
Jonny and me, we're both fighting to win this one million dollars.
It's crazy.
It's life-changing. I can't imagine.
Who's going to win that million dollars?
We will see!
It's so close now.
Whoa-oa-oa-oa!
Oh, hi, guys. Perfect timing.
Hi. How's it going? Gosh, show us what's happening. Ooh!
- Have you been up here? -No.
- I like that it's black. - -Do you guys like it?
- It's so cool!
Oh, my God, this whole New York skyline.
Yeah, this is where your runway show is going to be.
- Wow! - -Good, right?
- Wow. - -It's very thrilling.
Here I am in New York, in front of the Manhattan skyline.
You know, we're coming full circle.
We're that much closer to a million dollars.
You are the final two!
And you've each really earned your spot here.
You know what's so thrilling about this? We started our journey in New York...
And now you guys are back in the fashion capital of the world...
- Yeah. -This is crazy.
...New York City, where you will present your biggest fashion show yet.
We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
This is a true passion of both of yours,
and you feel that with everything that you guys do.
And it sustains everything that's ahead for you.
So, as part of this final assignment,
you're also going to have to present a business pitch.
You will be pitching your plan to the president of Amazon Fashion,
Christine Beauchamp.
Okay.
This is very, very, very important for you guys.
And I'm going to be joining you for moral support.
- Awesome. -Okay. That's good.
Awesome. This will be our biggest challenge.
This is not my favorite part of it.
I went really into detail, but presenting it is really something else.
And I'm very nervous to go in.
So, before we name one of you the winner,
the judges and I will get Christine's thoughts about your brands
and your business plans,
so this pitch is extremely important.
- It's part of your decision? -Well, yeah, it's important for us to know
- ...how you guys did. -Yeah. Okay.
The assignment is to design a business plan that says
how we're going to use this million dollars to grow our brand.
And the cherry on top is like, "Oh, also design
a 12 to 14-look collection" for our finale runway show.
I feel like this assignment has been staring me in the eyes for 35 years.
All of my successes and failures and my business as a designer
have been leading me to this moment, and I am ready.
One of you will win Making the Cut,
a mentorship from Amazon fashion,
the chance to sell a collection on Amazon,
and... where's my drum roll?...
...one million dollars!
Walking into this very empty space feels very strange.
It's so quiet without Sander screaming 24/7.
It's funny, the moment when someone's not there anymore,
you start to miss him so badly.
Oh, cute!
- Oh, my God, all these little mini Esthers! -Cute? Why is it cute?
- So many little Esthers? -Yeah.
I'm really excited to see the garments on the models.
I mean, I was trying them in the studio back home in Berlin,
but seeing it on the models will be really exciting.
Oh, yeah! Oh my gosh, I forgot how sheer this is.
This collection is the culmination of ten-plus years of everything I've done.
I think I'm debuting Jonny Cota
with a strong, strong scream of a voice.
I love it.
Hello! How are you?
Hey!
- Hi, I'm Jonny. -Agla. Nice to m...
- What is it? Agla. -Yeah.
- I love this hair. -Thank you so much.
- It's great. -Yeah, tell me a little about the collection.
She looks so beautiful, I thought she's a model.
She says, "No, I'm your seamstress." Like, "Oh! Okay, I'm sorry."
- It will be styled and a bit draped. -Okay.
Hopefully, we don't have to do that much alterations, you know?
Oh, wow. Okay.
The collection is called Hungry for Life,
so I'm playing with all this cutlery... spoons, forks, and knives.
With this final runway show, I really want to show people
that I have all the capacities to build a big brand
and explore this Esther universe even more.
The front has this huge chiffon thing.
With my 14-outfit collection, I will not include colors.
I will include one fabric which is like a black and white check.
Yeah, it drapes here.
So, there will be a dynamic.
So, it will start with black, and of course, always this sheer transparency,
so you have to build this... you know, the running order needs to be really smart.
- I love that. -A little corsage.
Hello!
I love this. It's so cool.
Good. Okay.
Oh, jeez. It's stunning!
I'm doing a fall collection. I love fall. I love outerwear.
So, my inspiration is high desert wilderness.
Mm! I am not mad at this at all!
Huge, giant outerwear, but then the models are gonna look sexy.
There's gonna be skin showing, there's flow,
and then there's this punk-rock piercing, this silver jewelry thing.
It all comes together to create this fantasy.
Boom!
Wow!
But maybe do it a little bit longer.
- So, like, right here? -Yeah.
I wish that pant was longer.
- Wow! I'm so happy. -It looks great.
All the girls are carrying the stuff really well.
I'm... I'm...
Bricks...
I love it. It's gorgeous.
- I'm good. Are you good? -Yeah. -Cool.
- Thank you. - -Thank you so much.
- Okay... -Let's get out of here.
Oh, my God, I can't believe it. Final two.
This is nu-u-u-uts. I did not think that we would make it here.
Do you remember when we were in Paris?
- Whoa. -This feels like ages ago.
Ages ago. But you know what's crazy, is last time we were in New York,
they announced that one of us could win a million dollars,
and now it's just down to two of us.
- Isn't that insane? -A 50% chance.
...Chance of a million dollars.
This whole time, Esther's been the greatest competition.
It feels so awesome to be in such great company.
It's gonna really force me to bring my A-plus game.
I have to do this business pitch today.
I'm a bit nervous about the situation.
This is really important. This is... now we talk business.
One million is crucial...
I transformed my vision.
The pitch is the scariest part of this entire thing.
I've been going over notes for weeks.
The pitch has to be a homerun.
That uniqueness that you feel when you put on that leather jacket,
it's an empowering moment.
It makes you feel resilient.
I take this... I take this...
I'm very nervous about the business pitch.
I really want to die, but there is no way back,
so, I think, like, "Okay...
squeeze your ass together, Esther, and just do it."
Esther. You look so deep in thought.
Yeah, I am.
- This is exciting. -It is.
It's very exciting.
It's also... I'm nervous.
You're ready for this.
- You are ready for this. -Okay.
- Hi, Esther. -Hello, Christine.
- It's nice to see you today. -Wow!
- I know that the two of you met. - -Nice to meet you. Yes.
- I'm really excited and happy to be here. -Thank you, and I'm delighted...
delighted to learn more about your business and vision.
There is this tough cookie of a businesswoman sitting in front of me.
I think I look mighty confident from the outside,
but inside of me, it's a thunderstorm.
Okay, Christine.
I'm really happy to be here.
Um, Esther Perbandt is a Berlin-based fashion brand.
It makes you confident, and it's very fragile at the same time.
It sounds like you're speaking of modern femininity.
I do. Thank you for recognizing it.
So, I want to build the house of Esther, a home for a brand.
So, I have to build a strong fundament, a foundation...
...organize the collection, the production, and the distribution...
...so, before that, I need someone for social media...
...more stores...
The sky is the limit, let's say.
Um, so how do I want to build the house?
Christine is a bit of a poker face.
You cannot really tell if her reaction is positive or negative.
- Did you do this all by yourself? -I did a lot of business plans before.
In 2008, I received a big bank loan
three weeks before the first financial crisis.
And the big mistake I did back then was...
I was investing it in the top roof.
I started there, and I had no foundation, and it just collapsed the whole house,
and I learned so much, and I just don't want to do the same mistakes.
If I told you that customers around the world do really love color and print,
how would you think about expanding its edit while still being true to yourself?
It could be, of course, for sure, black and white and gray shades,
and then, some months later, there will be maybe another color.
That doesn't mean that all of a sudden, it will be prints and flowers and all colors.
- I should never give up the DNA of my brand. -Yeah.
But, of course, I do understand, like, if you really want to grow,
you need to hit the demand of the masses.
I cannot stand in front of her talking about color with love and passion.
I mean, that would be really unauthentic.
I want to make people beautiful,
and I want to make women feel really empowered and strong.
And it's so beautiful for me, they give me the feedback like,
"Esther, you know what? When I wear your things, I feel so strong,"
and I get little postcards from customers saying, like,
"Hey, I got the job because I was wearing your stuff."
I love that you think about the woman and maybe about how it feels
to be inside the clothes versus how somebody looks just from the outside.
- Thank you, Christine. -I really appreciate it.
- Nice meeting you again. -Nice to meet you too. Thank you again.
You were absolutely fabulous.
- Really? -Yes.
- I know it was difficult... -Yeah.
...but you were fabulous.
There is nothing coming to my mind I could have done better.
I said everything I wanted to say.
I'm happy that it's over.
How are you feeling?
- Awesome. -Excellent.
- It's nice to see you. -Hi, Christine. Nice to see you.
I look forward to talking to you this afternoon.
Me too! I can't wait to share myself with you.
Please make yourself comfortable, set up.
Okay. So...
Is Chr... Uh...
So, um...
Jonny Cota is an edgy and eclectic lifestyle brand.
Fifteen years ago, I started my current brand with a rusty sewing machine and a dream.
I was a circus performer making circus costumes,
and then that turned into a ready-wear... ready-to-wear collection.
- I have to ask- -Yeah?
What kind of a circus performer were you?
I was a stilt walker and fire dancer.
And somehow, here I am now presenting to you at Amazon Fashion.
- Still fire dancing, right? -Totally, right? Still juggling and all!
So, Jonny Cota... it's about turning
the traditional fashion production model on its head.
The focus on innovative eco-materials...
This is my team.
So, I'm not familiar with what you're doing in Bali.
The great thing about Bali is it's an island of small, family-run businesses
that allow me to do small runs of things.
No waste and no extra stock.
None of our stuff is going into landfills.
And so, even with this million-dollar investment,
sustainable growth is key.
Not growing faster than we're able to is crucial.
That's very compelling.
One of the most important things in building a new business
is the ability to learn and be curious
and to stay openminded, to notice what's working
on behalf of your customers
and to pivot away from what's not.
So, if you were to win the million-dollar prize,
how would you allocate that capital?
So, immediately, I'd put 15% of that money into a digital media team.
What's next for the digital shopper?
Having it be interactive...
...and the rest of it is saved and ready to invest in what's working best.
Because what I've learned in all my experience,
you have to be ready to pivot, and you need that cash flow.
So, I need this million-dollar investment
to make it into the global, sought-after brand I know it can be.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate your vision and business point of view.
Thank you for taking the time.
- So nice to talk to you today. -Thank you, nice to talk to you.
I don't want to jinx myself, but I feel like I killed it.
I felt really great walking out.
- That was great. -Thank you. -Yeah. No, really.
I hated that I had to have the notes, but I wanted to stay on track.
Oh, yeah.
So, it was nice to turn it more into conversation.
And that frequently does not happen.
This was really a conversation.
Alright, go get a drink.
Thank you.
- Bye. -Bye, Tim.
The business pitch is behind us,
and now, all I have to do is the fashion show.
This is one of the biggest opportunities of my life,
and now that it's here, I kind of can't even believe it.
Hi! What's up?!
Hi. Hi, darlin'.
- Hey, girls! - -Yay, we're here!
Ready to rumble?
Oh, you look cool.
She needs to be like royalty, high queen.
Boom. Oh my gawd!
Jonny is very strong in styling and matching things together,
but for me, my strength is I have a very strong and distinct design language
which is very recognizable.
Great. Beautiful.
- Ooh! Girl, your body looks so good in this outfit. -Thank you.
I'm changing two looks at the last minute,
because my pop-up shop, people really gravitated to certain pieces.
That would be silly for me to not have those on the runway.
So, I definitely am doing some last-minute changes,
and that's a little nerve-wracking, but I know it's the right decision.
Beautiful.
Yeah. Ahh...
We're putting you in latex gloves.
I feel really good.
I feel fresh and ready to have this final show.
I can't wait to see it on the runway. It's so exciting.
Okay. For now, Fabienne looks good.
My lineup looks incredible,
and out of the corner of my eye, I see Esther's lineup, and I'm like,
"Oh, shit, that looks really good."
Mine's good, but is it great? Because hers is great.
I am freaking out.
There's just so much riding on this, and I've put everything into this.
It's a life-changing opportunity.
I'm almost afraid that I will just burst into tears
the moment I see the show,
because it's really like all the effort
is coming to an end, and into that moment.
It's relieving tears.
It's unleashing tears.
- Good evening, everybody. - -Hello!
Hello, and welcome to our Making the Cut finale fashion show!
And to New York City!
It's so nice to be back.
We've traveled the world with these very talented designers,
and now we're back in New York for our final fashion show.
And it's a big one, is it not?
We started with 12 designers and entrepreneurs,
and now we're down to our final two.
Our designers created their final collections,
and they've also pitched their brand to the president of Amazon Fashion,
Christine Beauchamp, who's here with us today.
The winner of Making the Cut will receive a mentorship with Amazon Fashion,
the opportunity to create a collection to be sold on Amazon,
and... Heidi, join me...
One million dollars!
Okay, okay, okay.
Multiple looks from the winning collection will be immediately available on Amazon
in the Making the Cut store.
Alright, let me introduce you to our lovely judges.
Creative director of Altuzarra, Joseph Altuzarra.
Digital entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni.
Creative director of House of Harlow 1960, Nicole Richie.
Supermodel and contributing editor for British Vogue, and fashion icon,
Naomi Campbell.
Let's start the show, everybody.
Hi!
Good evening. I'm Jonny Cota, from Los Angeles, California.
Tonight, my collection is about rediscovering tenderness
and celebrating strength and resilience.
And like the signature butterfly print you'll see in tonight's collection,
this collection is named Metamorphosis.
Please enjoy the show.
- I'm excited about this collection. -I am too.
I welled up with tears... when I walked by.
Oh, really?
Wow!
Oh, I like this.
Ooh, I would wear this.
- That's a good jacket. - -That's a good pants too.
- That too. - -Love that!
Me too.
- Wow! - -Great.
The pieces are making more sense with each other.
- Yeah. -It feels really cohesive, actually.
That is fashion.
- This is handwoven. It took nine days. -I can tell.
It was worth every single second.
You know what I'm noticing, is that the styling is very strong.
All the finishing touches...
It's like very clean, very well-done.
It feels very polished.
Speaking of styling, I mean, honestly,
that styling, it was good so far, up until this came.
The guy with the washing-the-dishes gloves is not good.
- It's a little "murderer," but, like... - -What did you just say, Nicole?
It's a little Dexter.
- The serial killer? -Yeah.
I think that, like, this dress is so easy to wear on so many different bodies.
I agree.
- Oh, I like that jumpsuit. -It's a jumpsuit that he styled...
- And then folded it down? - -Yeah.
Now I feel like he's just throwing everything together.
The pieces might be nice, but I don't like the way he's putting them together.
- This is what we bought. -At the pop-up. Yeah, we got that one.
I'm not so sure about the fanny pack, but...
I do think a lot of customers would respond to this.
- Yeah. -It's a fashion show.
It's not just a bunch of clothes.
- Thank you. - -You run up there.
Thank you.
Whoo, whoo, whoo!
Yes, yes, yes!
I think everything he showed is wearable.
I'm a little bit "hit and miss" on the styling.
Yeah, but you're looking at it from a designer's eye.
Which he should as well.
Yeah, but when they see it online, you're not seeing it as the models walking.
- So... -He's been on this whole journey with us,
and this is really the culmination, and I can really see how he's grown.
I agree. I agree.
Good evening, everybody.
My name is Esther Perbandt.
I'm born and raised in Berlin,
and I brought you some Berlin spirit tonight here to New York.
Let me invite you to discover my new collection,
which is called Hungry for Life, because this is what I am.
I am hungry for life.
Let me invite you to discover my mainly black universe.
But let me promise you one thing.
No matter how dark my designs are,
they possess a light and a shine that will never be dimmed.
Thank you. Enjoy.
- Nice! - -That was powerful. I like that.
You looked majestic. Majestic.
- Really? -Yeah.
- Wow. -I love it.
This is new. This is new.
It's just spectacularly beautiful.
This is nice. Is it a whole piece or two pieces?
- It looks like one piece. -So, it's a dress then. I love the new dress.
I never thought I would like cut-out pants of forks and spoons.
Do you know what I mean?
That will sell like hotcakes, don't you think?
It will sell.
- Beautiful! -I like that. I love it.
It feels like very modern evening.
- This is pretty amazing. - -Yeah.
I mean, there's not one piece that is boring.
Everything is so thoughtful.
- Now, the color's coming in. -Yes, it is.
Wow, it's not black.
I have to say, seeing white really gives life to it as well.
It does. She needs a little something in there.
- The jacket is all one piece. -Yeah.
Yeah.
Normally, you wouldn't put something so soft or delicate
over something so structured, or do it the other way around.
Yeah.
It's nice the way she did that.
It feels like she took all the notes very seriously,
- ...but she's not losing herself. -Mm-hmm.
- Okay. -Have a great train.
Thank you.
Thank you!
I felt like Esther's show was tailor finished.
She knows what she wants, and she's unapologetic about who she is,
- ...and I love that about her. -I do love that.
Every piece is special. I love that nothing is a throwaway piece here.
Absolutely.
I love that every single thing is so thought of.
Mm-hmm. The core question is, like, if you give Esther a million dollars...
Yeah.
...she has the ideas, and she could hire a merchandiser who could say,
"These are amazing, pushed ideas.
You can do, you know, a t-shirt version of this..."
Around this, yeah.
"You could do a whole story around this idea of tulle..."
- It's whether she's open... -To do this kind of...
...to doing that, and she wants that.
Because Jonny, I know, is hungry to have a big business.
- Yeah!
I really feel I have achieved so much.
I think it looked amazing.
And every outfit was so special and strong by itself.
I'm really proud.
You guys looked great. You guys stomped it out.
Tonight meant the world to me.
I've always dreamed of launching Jonny Cota.
I never dreamed it would be of this magnitude.
What better way to launch your brand? I'm speechless.
Christine, they came to you, and they gave you their spiel
on what their brand is all about,
and we want to know how they did.
- We do. -They both did a really good job.
Esther had a very detailed, strong, solid plan.
She had lots of spreadsheets and detail on how she would spend the million dollars.
I loved that she has a very strong point of view on who she is
and what she stands for in terms of modern femininity.
She had mixed emotions when I asked her about color or print.
But she had real clarity of vision about how she was going to build her business.
And in terms of brand, you know, it couldn't be more clear what the brand is.
Esther has a very strong conviction in what she does.
And I think that can be a double-edged sword.
Jonny was not as strong or detailed on how he was going to use the capital,
how he was going to spend the million dollars.
But he was very compelling about
the idea of building a real lifestyle brand,
and he had a really innovative, I think, idea around global manufacturing.
In the end of the day, it's really like,
if you were going to write a million-dollar check,
if you were investing your money in a business,
would you rather invest it in her business or in Jonny's?
To be honest, with my gut, they can both do it.
It's all a matter of taste.
It's not a matter of taste. It's a matter of look at the customer.
- I agree. -Will they relate to Esther?
Or will they relate to Jonny?
I like to always look for brands that push the envelope a little bit more.
Esther is not what you walk on the street and find.
You go to a conceptual shop for clothes from Esther.
Or do you educate people around your world...
And it feels like that's what she wants to do.
...and show them maybe a little bit more than what they've been seeing?
A global brand means that you have... like, someone with a vision.
You really get the sense from Jonny that he knows what his brand is about,
and that he has a point of view, and he has a customer.
Because if it's global, it has to be appealing for a different kind of people, like, all over th
Do you know what? I think we should just talk to them.
- I agree. -Bye-bye. Good luck with the deliberation.
- Hi, guys. -Hi.
I'm into this.
- Hi, Tim. -Hi, Heidi.
How are you feeling?
I'm a nervous wreck of a foster dad.
And how are you guys feeling?
Relieved. Proud.
Yes. Yeah.
I'm playing to win. I want first.
Second will not do.
We're getting our gloves out, and we're ready to battle it out.
Okay.
I gave, like, one thousand percent every single day
for so many weeks for this moment.
This is the last moment I can convince them
that I deserve this one million dollars.
Esther and Jonny, this was fantastic.
- You should be very proud of yourselves. -Thank you.
And we're beyond thrilled with what you showed us today.
I really think that the right two designers showed today.
- Mm-hmm. - -Yeah. -Thank you.
We started here in New York City a few months ago.
There were 12 extremely talented designers and entrepreneurs.
We circled the world, and you were the final two standing.
And one of you will win one million dollars to grow your brand.
In addition to all of this,
multiple looks from tonight's winning collection
will be available on Amazon.
It's big. It's big, it's big.
Christine Beauchamp was here earlier,
and she gave us some insight on your pitches today...
your entrepreneurial skills and your leadership skills.
We're going to talk to each of you before we finalize our decision.
And this conversation can change everything.
Because this is a one-million-dollar conversation.
Esther, let's talk to you first.
As I mentioned on the runway, the collection's called Hungry for Life.
I wanted to say with this name really, like, express my feeling,
how I am hungry for life,
and how I really want to continue working on being so creative
and really unleashing myself.
As I was enjoying all the feedback you gave me,
and I wanted to take the chance of not restricting myself
and creating something I would have been before maybe afraid of doing,
'cause I might have been afraid of not being able to sell it.
Well, I thought you did an amazing job.
The collection was really beautiful.
I thought it really spoke to your journey as a designer,
and you've always shown us that you have a strength of vision,
that you are confident in your design aesthetic,
and that you are, in a lot of ways, uncompromising about what you believe.
And I think that is really a strength.
I have a few questions I want to ask you.
Would you compromise if the buyer came and said to you,
"I love what you've done. I love your collection.
But I need you to do it in color."
For me, it would have... feel strange, you know,
if today I would have come up with a colorful collection.
So, I integrated these looks, and I really said,
"Okay, how can I do this?"
Because I know that I can't stick to black and...
So, you're willing to do.
I am really willing to do, and I said to Christine,
there might be a lot of black, but there might be always, like,
a little bit of color coming into it.
You are a true artist. You're an artist through and through.
It's like in your blood. I can feel it.
But we today are talking about a global brand,
and so, are you willing to let go of it a little bit...
- Mm-hmm. -...and be open to expanding?
I mean, I really loved your show.
I'm so proud of, like, what you brought to the runway today.
It think there were a lot of pieces that were wearable
and in the same way, very refined.
I feel like this industry is polluted with many, many designers.
A lot of it kind of does look the same.
So, I feel like you offer something to the world that is new and different.
- Absolutely. -And that has your stamp on it.
And I do think that you're onto something.
I like that you want to stick to your design aesthetic
and, you know, all the little things that you do
that make your pieces your pieces.
Esther, please tell us, why should you win Making the Cut?
I think, um, that I was really waiting 15 years for that moment.
That I put all the seeds in the soil, and it's time to water them now.
And I think that I am old and smart enough
to do it really with a lot of passion and energy.
It's really unique. It has a very strong language
which can be divided in lots of different products,
from really commercial to perfume or whatever, shoes.
I mean, I've shown already a big range.
And...
- I'm ready for it. -Thank you, Esther.
I think you should be very proud with what you've showed us today.
- Yes. -Super proud.
Thank you.
You definitely made me dream today.
Jonny.
- Let's do it. - -Welcome in the hotseat.
Oh, yeah.
Tell us about your collection.
As I was saying on the runway, my collection is, um...
It was kind of about peeling back some of my hard layers
and rediscovering my tenderness and celebrating resilience.
Also, like, you know, I have some imagery of the butterflies throughout my collection,
and that was really to represent the metamorphosis of myself
as a designer
and kind of, actually, discovering an identity that I didn't know
was really there to discover.
Like, for 15 years, I've been doing SkinGraft
with all my passion and loving it,
and loving my palette of all dark and neutral tones.
And I've always been scared... I even used to say, "I'm printphobic."
You know? Like, always scared to venture into that.
Scared because I was going to lose the niche customer.
And when I saw my garments come out on the runway,
I was like, "Wow! I've been putting so much detail into my garments for 15 years,
"and a lot of those details have been getting lost
in the neutralness of my silhouettes."
You've sort of, like, opened up Pandora's box,
and you're playing with, like, all these prints and all these colors
and all this, like, candy now...
- Mm-hmm. -...after SkinGraft.
And I think it's... it was really exciting to see tonight.
Thank you.
What is really nice about you is your energy.
Like, episode to episode, we've seen, like, your energy increasing so much,
and, like, be way more proud of who you are and kind of letting go of the past,
and, like, starting to blossom and become the new you.
I love that your kind of looks already like a lifestyle brand.
So, it incorporates, like, candles and accessories and shoes,
which is really important.
- I'm really proud of what you did. -Thank you.
When I came into your pop-up store with Heidi the other day,
I felt your lifestyle.
You want to put your lifestyle on us.
And I can appreciate that.
All I need to know from you is that you have a solid plan.
- Mm-hmm. -Like, if you were to win this competition,
your plan is solid and tight...
- Definitely. -And use this platform
for what it can give to you.
I started my very first factory in Bali with 500 dollars
and one sewing machine.
And, you know, eight years later, I was up to a hundred tailors, you know?
So, it's like, I have built a vertically-integrated business
from the manufacturing all the way to my brick and mortars.
I control the whole process.
This is what I've been doing.
This is how I've been learning how to be a designer.
So, what I've already created is an infrastructure
that a million dollars can immediately go into
and help expand and benefit.
When I saw you in Paris, I actually felt that you were pretty limited,
in the sense of, I thought of you as the leather guy, you know?
It's really hard, because you and Esther are very different designers, you know?
I'm rooting for you for one reason;
I'm rooting for Esther for a completely different reason.
You guys are almost polar opposites in the sense of, like,
why I would go for either one of you.
- It's really hard. -I agree. I agree.
Jonny, why should you win Making the Cut?
I am...
the best candidate in this competition to take a million dollars
and a mentorship with Amazon
and turn it into a multimillion-dollar global brand.
I've built the infrastructure, I have the voice,
I have a willingness to grow.
And how perfect timing to turn that into reality for me.
Jonny, you've done a fabulous job today. You should be very proud.
Thank you guys so much.
Very proud.
Esther, please come up here again.
This was a very tough decision.
As we have said on Making the Cut, a conversation can change everything.
Naomi, have you changed your mind?
Mmm... Yes, I have.
For me...
I think Esther should win.
Thank you, Naomi.
I did not change my mind.
I also think that Esther should win.
Thank you, Heidi.
Joseph, have you changed your mind?
I haven't changed my mind.
I think that Jonny should win.
Thank you.
Chiara, have you changed your mind?
No, I haven't changed my mind.
And I think Jonny should win.
Oh, my God.
It's two to two.
Nicole, have you changed your mind?
I have not changed my mind.
I think Jonny should win.
Does that mean I win?
It does, Jonny, it does! You just won a million dollars!
- Aww.
Yes! You just won yourself a million dollars on Making the Cut.
Oh, my God.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
- Congratulations. -Thank you.
Thank you. I promise...
I am gonna make you guys proud. Thank you.
Congratulations.
- You're a millionaire.
That must burn!
I just won a million dollars.
Not only did I win a million dollars, I just showed the best collection of my life.
It is the best day of my life.
Congratulations, Jonny. Congratulations.
You were pivotal in this.
Thank you, and you really pushed me.
I want to hug you too.
Mwah!
- Well, you have a new customer in Berlin. -Okay.
I understand their decision,
but I think that I always stayed true to my work and my universe.
So, I'm not regretting anything.
It's good, and I'm really proud.
- I love you. -I love you too.
I came here to compete and to show my best
and show the world what I do.
And, of course, now I'm getting a million dollars, so this is incredible.
But those other things were equally as important.
And that's why I came.
So, it's not only about the money.
It's about this journey I've been through.
Jonny's collection is available right now on Amazon,
in the Making the Cut store.