E!As the competition winds down, the drama is heating up!
With just one week left before Diane von Furstenberg officially crowns the newest brand ambassador on House of DVF, the pressure was intense for competitors Alli, Hanna Beth and Cat on tonight's episode!
The three candidates were instructed to help the brand host the annual DVF Awards by managing a dress fitting for the guests and working behind-the-scenes at the event. But with such high stakes, the girls struggled to control their emotions and nerves, which resulted in several awkward and uncomfortable moments.
Before next week's season finale, recap tonight's 8 biggest moments!
1. When Hanna Beth and Alli got stuck in an elevator: The episode began with the ladies scrambling to set up a room at headquarters to style all of the DVF Awards honorees. But while they were concerned with creating a pleasing aesthetic, they forgot the most important part: clothing! "If you don't have clothes to style our honorees, it doesn't matter how many pillows there are on the sofa," Style Editor Jessica Joffe said.
Hanna Beth and Alli rushed downstairs to pull a couple racks of dresses, but on their way back up, the elevator stopped working! Hanna Beth's claustrophobia kicked in and she immediately started to panic. "I'm trapped in here with clothing racks everywhere," she said. "I'm like literally about to lose my mind!" They were rescued a short time later, but Hanna Beth was still visibly shaken up.
2. When Jessica reprimanded Cat for her excessively aggressive behavior: While the candidates were working to find outfits for the DVF Awards guests, Jessica noticed some unpleasant behavior from Cat. "Cat is so overwhelming. I don't think Cat understands that it's not always about asserting herself. She's literally taking shoes and shoving them in people's faces," Jessica observed. Cat, on the other hand, just thought Alli and Hanna Beth were doing a subpar job in her area of expertise. "God damn, if I'm good at one thing in this whole entire program, this is the moment," she said.
Eventually, Jessica had to pull Cat aside to address her actions. "We keep running into this problem with you," she told her. "It's ridiculous to me at this point. You crowd people in a way that is so uncomfortable. You need to chill out."
3. When Cat started crying after Jessica scolded her twice: Once the fitting was over, Jessica gave the girls a performance review and singled out Cat again. "Barring some hiccups, I think you all did really well today," she told the group, before turning her attention to Cat. "If what I saw today from you happens in any way, shape or form tomorrow, that's it."
Cat's emotions bubbled up to the surface and she turned away from Jessica as she attempted to hold back her tears. "Is there something more interesting happening outside than here?" Jessica asked, puzzled. Cat then walked off and started bawling in the corner. "If Cat is breaking down in tears that means the wheels have really come off," Jessica said.
4. When Hanna Beth's mom was "gangster" after getting a tattoo: Later that night, Hanna Beth had an opportunity to spend time with her mama who came to visit from California. And there is no better mother-daughter bonding experience than getting a tattoo, right? Her mom decided to get a tiny cross on the inside of her arm. "Oh my god, I love it!" she exclaimed. "I'm gangster." Okaaay.
Despite her mom's enthusiastic (and slightly inaccurate) response to her new ink, Hanna Beth was just happy to see her. "She just knows how to put me at ease," she said. "She's given me amazing advice. I'm sorry, but I have the world's coolest mom!"
As they were leaving the tattoo parlor, mom decided to flirt with a couple boys who were waiting for their appointments. "Oh, so what are you getting?" she asked. Anonymous cute boy #1 responded, "Um, I'm going to get dates I think." To which Hanna Beth's mom jokingly replied, "Well you got two dates right here! What happens in New York stays in New York!" But anonymous cute boy #2 didn't find her joke too funny. "That's Vegas," he corrected her. Awkward!
5. When Hanna Beth freaked out over interviewing Naomi Campbell: Hanna Beth was granted the awesome task of interviewing the DVF Award honorees backstage before the ceremony. The fashion blogger was killing the interviews and doing such a good job until she found out there was one more surprise guest: Naomi Campbell. "This is 100 percent the scariest thing that they could have just thrown at me," she said. "I literally haven't prepped for this at all. Do not f--k up with Naomi Campbell! Like, you've got this," she encouraged herself. Luckily, she calmed her nerves and nailed the interview!
6. When Alli didn't know who Seth Meyers was: Diane and her team certainly didn't want the candidates drooling over all of the famous guests at the ceremony, but they did expect them to know their names! Alli was so nervous she completely froze as she was supposed to announce the celebrities on the red carpet. As the Late Night host stepped up for his introduction, Alli's mouth was glued shut. "Are you kidding me?" Cat asked, appalled. "Alli is not capable. Please let me do this!" Cat to the rescue!
7. When Cat thanked Jessica for coming down on her: Cat decided to take the high road and her express her gratitude to Jessica for her stern lesson after having a successful night at the DVF Awards. "It's your way of pushing me into being the better person or the best person for this job," Cat acknowledged. Jessica responded, "The best person, not for the job, but that you can be." For the first time all season, Jessica seemed impressed with Cat's growth. "It takes a lot of guts to come up to someone and thank them for what was in essence a very harsh scolding," she said. "I appreciate it as a gesture."
8. When Cat said she has "it" and the other girls don't: Oh Cat… It's always two steps forward and one step back. At a group meeting the next day, Diane deviously asked each girl to tell her why the other candidates didn't deserve to win! Cat was the last to speak and she wasn't happy with some of the comments Hanna Beth and Alli had previously made about her. So when it was her turn, she made sure to speak her truth. "I just feel more professional," Cat said. "It's an innate thing. I have it and I've grown up with—I just feel like on-brand is not just how you wear the clothes, but it's also who you are inside."
Jessica and Creative Brand Director Stefani Greenfield didn't take too kindly to Cat's blunt statements. "You're judging for not coming from the world that you come from," Jessica said. "Are you talking about your status?" Cat vehemently denied Jessica's assumption. She tried to defend herself and clarify her point, but she kept digging herself a deeper hole. "If you look at the common thread with anybody that makes it in this company, they're good listeners and they're kind," Stefani informed Cat. "I would take a good person much faster, under my wing, than I would a smart a--hole." Damn.
But in the end, Diane's opinion was the only one that mattered and she really wasn't fazed by Cat's insinuation that she was inherently better than Hanna Beth or Alli. "I know that Stefani is annoyed with Cat," Diane said. "She thought that Cat was entitled, but this is a competition and this is the last moments, so you got to push!"
Watch the House of DVF season finale next Sunday, Nov. 1 at 10 p.m., only on E! The winner of the House of DVF FIAT 500X Crossover contest will be announced during the season finale!