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The competition is fierce in this season of Making the Cut. The Prime Video series returned for its third season on August 19, with a fresh batch of 10 skilled designers competing for a $1 million prize and a mentorship with Amazon Fashion. And while all of the contestants bring something unique to the table, there can be only one winner. Unfortunately, for two designers, the judges have determined that they didn’t quite measure up. 

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Making the Cut Season 3 episodes 1 and 2.]

Meet the ‘Making the Cut’ Season 3 designers 

This season’s Making the Cut designers come from around the world. All are talented creators with established brands. But who has what it takes to be a truly global fashion brand? The contenders are: 

  • Ciara Chyanne Morgan: She’s a self-taught designer from Los Angeles who has her own brand, Ciara Chyanne, that focuses on contemporary, elevated ready-to-wear.
  • Curtis Cassell: A Brooklyn-based designer who founded the nonbinary label Queera, which focuses on formal wear for diverse communities.
  • Emily Bargeron. She’s a designer from Savannah, Georgia, who owns the free-spirited, fest-inspired fashion label Mamie Ruth as well as a vintage boutique, East + Up.
  • Gabriella Meyer: Gabriella is an LA-based artist who uses recycled materials and novel denim techniques in her streetwear brand DENIMCRATIC.
  • Georgia Hardinge: She’s a London-based designer whose clothes have been worn by stars such as Beyoncé and Alicia Keys.
  • Jeanette Limas: Originally from the Dominican Republic and now based in Philadelphia, Jeannette studied at Parsons School of Design has her own namesake brand.
  • Markantoine Lynch-Boisvert: He’s the Montreal-based designer behind the skatewear brand MRKNTN.
  • Rafael Chaouiche: Rafael, who is from Brazil, runs the brand Chaouiche, which is inspired by strong women. 
  • Sienna Li: Sienna is a Chinese-born designer now based in New York whose work has been featured in magazines such as Vogue Italia and Harper’s Bazaar.
  • Yannik Zamboni: Yannick is a Swiss designer who aims to address sociopolitical issues through his conceptual fashion brand, maison blanche.  

Who won the first ‘Making the Cut’ challenge – and who went home? 

A model wearing a white, high-low dress with a gold belt in 'Making the Cut' Season 3
A model wearing one of Sienna Li’s designs from ‘Making the Cut’ Season 3 Episode 1 | James Clark/Amazon Prime

In the Making the Cut Season 3 premiere, the contestants arrived in Los Angeles. They brought with them their looks for the first challenge, which was to create an evening wear collection that represents their brand. 

Judges Heidi Klum, Nicole Richie, and Jeremy Scott found plenty to praise – and criticize – in the designers’ initial efforts. But there could be only one winner after the Rodeo Drive runway show. Ultimately, Sienna ended up walking away as the winner of the season’s first challenge. All three judges loved her elegant and feminine dresses, which Klum described as “magical.”

Things didn’t go so well for some other designers. Both Klum and Zoe worried that Ciara’s looks weren’t cohesive, while Scott drew attention to fit issues in her designs. The judges also didn’t love Emily’s accessible jumpsuit or her evening wear ensemble, which consisted of a top and layered skirt made out of fabric from vintage scarves. Klum praised Emily’s eye but said she wanted something more from her designs. Zoe said she appreciated the way that the designer drew inspiration from vintage fashions but felt her evening wear look was more suited to the daytime. Scott said Emily’s designs lacked a sense of urgency. Ultimately, they decided to send Emily home. 

‘Making the Cut’ Season 3 Episode 2 winner and elimination 

Tim Gun advises Ciara on her design on 'Marking the Cut'
Tim Gunn and Ciara Chyanne Morgan on ‘Making the Cut’ | James Clark/Prime Video
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In the next episode of Making the Cut, the designers were tasked with creating activewear looks in collaboration with sportswear brand Champion. The challenge proved tough for some of the designers, particularly those used to creating more formal looks. 

In the end, the judges named Rafael the winner. Klum loved his “edgy” and “sexy” first look, which incorporated a lot of mesh, as well as a massive pair of Champion logo earrings, while Scott praised his ability to celebrate the brand in a creative, exciting way. 

Given his background in streetwear, it wasn’t a huge surprise that Markantoine finished a close second to Rafael. Curtis also earned praise from the judges and Champion’s chief design officer Ned Munroe. Munroe loved the designer’s jumpsuit with a custom plaid design based on Champion’s logo and said that the company wanted to partner with him on producing that look. 

Jeanette and Ciara’s activewear designs found less favor with the discriminating judges. They wondered why Jeanette’s pieces didn’t tie in more with the Champion brand. Klum was particularly unimpressed with the “boring” dress and jacket combo she presented as her second look. Ciara’s looks also fell flat. Again, the judges noted construction problems with her pieces. They also found her designs dull and underwhelming and said they weren’t popping on the runway. All that led to their decision to send her home. 

Which designers will go home next week? Find out when two new episodes of Making the Cut drop Friday, August 26 on Prime Video. 

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