The City Episode 1.16 It's All Who You Know

At Armani/Ristorante 5th Avenue, Joe Zee and Erin have lunch. Erin tells him that she and Olivia are working on their next big project, ELLE's Fall A to Zee, but she is worried about how it will turn out after Olivia's previous disappointing efforts. Erin says Olivia hasn't been receptive to her advice and Erin has had to fix Olivia's mistakes. Joe says he still feels Olivia is good for ELLE, but if she doesn't succeed at this, maybe her future isn't at their magazine.

Later, Olivia and Erin make their way to the Badgley Mischka showroom as Erin explains the Fall A to Zee feature. Each letter in the alphabet is assigned a corresponding Fall trend or accessory, so Olivia must find a total of 26 pieces. Erin says she will help look at accessories at Badgley Mischka, but after that Olivia is on her own. Olivia says she only has one other visit planned for the day. Erin chuckles and says she may want to start reaching out to more designers soon.

At People's Revolution, Whitney tells Roxy that she brought some of her sketches to show Kelly Cutrone. Roxy asks Whitney if she can see her designs. Whitney hesitates but shows them to her, asking only for constructive criticism. While Roxy is indifferent about a fabric choice for one of the pieces, she says she is impressed with most of the sketches and encourages Whitney to show them to Kelly.

Whitney takes Roxy's advice and goes to Kelly with 15 sketches that she envisions for a Spring 2010 line. Kelly says she is impressed with the quality of the sketches and gives her feedback. After Kelly says that a good first collection should have 26 to 31 looks, Whitney realizes that she'll need several more pieces. Kelly explains that the fashion industry is like a funnel -- lots go in, but only a little comes out. Kelly reiterates that she will help Whitney, but the sketches need work so she should not show them to anyone else yet.

At Badgley Mischka, Erin and Olivia meet with designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka who show them a dress and different accessories from their new holiday collection. Erin says she hopes Olivia has been taking notes because they'll have to report what they've found back to Joe. Olivia says she has been taking mental notes.

Meanwhile, Whitney, Samantha and Roxy meet for lunch at Blue Water Grill in Union Square. Whitney tells Samantha she showed Kelly her sketches and Kelly said there was potential. Roxy suggests that since Samantha works at Bergdorf Goodman, Whitney should show her sketches to Samantha's boss. Samantha says she would have to see if it was ok, but Whitney says she doesn't know if her designs are ready yet. Roxy says it could only help.

Olivia visits Roberta Freymann at her showroom on the Upper East Side. Roberta shows her necklaces and Olivia photographs the merchandise noting price points and turnaround time. They each say thank you and look forward to working together.

At Mood Fabric in the Garment District, Roxy accompanies Whitney as she collects fabric swatches. Roxy encourages Whitney to meet with Samantha's boss, but Whitney says she is scared of rejection. Roxy says if she can't show the sketches to Samantha's boss, she won't be able to show them to anyone. Roxy continues by saying Kelly is just a PR girl, and Whitney should hear from someone who actually buys clothes. Whitney says she has been struggling with the decision, but she thinks Roxy is right. She knows nothing will ever get done if she doesn't make a move.

Meanwhile, Rachel Roy greets Olivia as she arrives at her showroom. They chat about ELLE's Fall A to Zee feature and their fondness for Joe Zee. Rachel shows Olivia a few of her rings and necklaces and talks up their low price point. She asks Olivia how everything else at the magazine is going, and she says it has its ups and downs. Olivia says she is a believer in always helping people when they are new, but that isn't always the case in her life. Rachel reassures her that she can't make everyone happy, and Olivia should stay the refined, elegant, and the sweet person she knows.

At Bergdorf Goodman, Whitney waits for Samantha's boss, Sunni. She says she'll look at the sketches to get a feel for Whitney's overall design aesthetic. Sunni criticizes one of the dresses, but says she can see the designer in Whitney. She explains that photos are very helpful and Whitney still has a lot of work to do. Still, she sees many people who want to be designers, and Whitney's potential is really great. Sunni excuses herself and wishes Whitney good luck.

Back at People's Revolution, Whitney approaches a disappointed Kelly, who has received a phone call about Whitney's meeting at Bergdorf's. Whitney says she wasn't doing anything behind Kelly's back and explains Roxy's idea to show the sketches to Sunni. She thought she had nothing to lose in showing the sketches, but Kelly replies that her reputation is at stake, as no one in their right mind would go to Bergdorf Goodman with only a drawing.

Kelly asks how the meeting went, and Whitney says Sunni told her the same things as Kelly. Kelly says she told Whitney not to show the sketches because she loves and believes in her, but if she wants to listen to Roxy, don't do it with her relationships on her time. She says Whitney has paid her dues and is about to move up, while Roxy has just started in New York. Kelly doesn't think Roxy always has Whitney's best interests in mind, and when it comes to her career, maybe she shouldn't listen to anything Roxy has to say.

At ELLE, Joe and Erin talk about the latest progress on Fall A to Zee. Erin says Olivia wasn't taking notes while they looked at accessories, and if she comes in with nothing, it's going to be a major problem. Olivia arrives with photos of a variety of accessories from different designers. Olivia tells Joe and Erin about the tribal trend she noticed, and shows necklaces and bags at the right price points. Erin discounts a belt, which was far from their price point, but Joe says it is ok to have a couple expensive items, especially when the accessory is so unique. Joe tells Olivia he thinks the pieces she selected will photograph well and is very impressed with her work.