Several girl groups from all over the world are invited to take part in a rock fashion contest headed by Italian music promoter, Tony Cassini. Shana is a bit nervous about the competition and The Misfits try to rattle her by chipping away at her confidence. The last laugh is on them, though, when their own designer drops out of the contest. Unfortunately, this prompts them to get Zipper, Eric's hired henchman, to steal the costumes Shana designed for The Holograms, which turns the entire event upside down.
Plot[]
From the window, Ashley can be heard asking Shana to teach her how to design clothes of her own. Shana sketches an example for Ashley, who is excited to get started right away. Kimber then bursts in, telling them both to hurry to the living room as Lin-Z TV is broadcasting. Shana follows, but Ashley stays to practice what she's just learnt. The Starlight Girls, Jerrica and The Holograms are crowded round the TV as Lindsey announces that a successful promoter named Tony Cassini is hosting a rock fashion competition. It's set to take place at Cassini's salon in Venice, and whoever wins will be featured in his rock 'n' roll video. Contestants from all over the globe had been chosen, aside from the United States, where there was a tie between the Limp Lizards, The Misfits and Jem and The Holograms. Lindsey that invites Tony onto the show live to make his choice, and he reveals that he invites the latter two bands as he cannot decide. The Misfits are shocked to hear that they've tied with their rivals, but Roxy already starts to formulate plan on the knowledge that Shana is not yet an expert designer. She calls up Shana at Starlight Mansion, and begins to throw insults at her to try and Shana hangs up, discouraged. The rest of the band try to cheer her up by singing "It Depends On The Mood I'm In" and also give her new ideas for designs.
The next morning, the girls are preparing to leave for Italy, and Shana leaves her designs in a case outside. While she checks on her friends, the case is swapped by a stranger and the original ideas are stolen. Jem and The Holograms board their flight, and during a rough storm, Synergy's holograms are temporarily unable to project due to interference. Jerrica hides in the bathroom until the interference has passed, and transforms back into her other identity. Once they're off the plane, they meet their gondolier. Aja, Jem and Kimber get into the gondola while Shana decides to ride with the luggage in a separate gondola that is secretly steered by Zipper. The gondolier starts to give a tour of Venice, when suddenly Zipper takes off with the design case. He disrupts numerous other gondolas, and finally jumps into The Misfit's speedboat but the case knocks the acceleration stick and they hurtle towards Shana's gondola. They swerve and narrowly avoid her, sending a wave of water to tip over the gondola which causes Shana to crash into the water, who surfaces with a furious stare.
At Palace Du Voisin, the girls freshen up and meet with Danielle Du Voisin. Shana informs her off the lost designs, but the gondolier walks in with their missing trunk which supposedly contained their accessories inside. Ashley eventually comes out of the suitcase and tells them she had switched the portfolios earlier so that they could see her designs and that Shana's real designs were still inside the trunk, meaning Zipper had stolen Ashley's sketches instead. Back where The Misfits are staying, Eric Raymond's hired help stealing the childish designs proved pointless. Eric tells The Misfits to stay out of his business in finding a new designer for them, as their original had dropped out. Shana spends the night making the clothing line with her plans, and they go shopping the next day in search of some shoes and accessories. They enter a shoe shop, and The Misfits unexpectedly enter, singing "Designing Woman" and leave the store staff dizzy after running them ragged. Meanwhile, Zipper opens a skylight above the studio, and steals Shana's new costumes. Once The Holograms return to an empty clothing rail, and Shana angrily tells her bandmates she's had enough. Synergy turns Jem into an old seamstress and sneaks into The Misfits' hotel. Zipper arrives and hands the Shana's costumes to The Misfits, who order seamstress Jem to dye them black. She exits through the servants' stairs, and passes the costumes to The Holograms as they make their escape. The Misfits chase after them and a tug-of-war ensues over the items, which ends with Pizzazz, Roxy and Stormer dangling over the bridge hanging onto the costumes. They rip and luckily The Misfits land into Eric's boat. Jem reminds the girls that the designs are now stored in Synergy's memory, so everything will be fine.
Jem and The Holograms are in search of a motorboat, but there are none left, when a man named Tito offers to take them - for a price. The girls realize they have no money on their possession, and try to bargain a ride but Tito refuses. Jem and The Holograms perform "Time Is Runnin' Out". The song finishes, and a crowd who had gathered to watch them sing leave money at their feet and Tito finally agrees to give them a ride. They make it to Tony's salon and notice that The Misfits are wearing Shana's designs, but Jem comes up with the idea for her to quickly create new ones so that Synergy could create holographic versions. The Misfits parade the stolen designs on-stage, and Ashley notices. The Holograms go on after in their new costumes and wow the crowd. Tony Cassini then takes the scores from the judges and announces the third place contestants, Giri. In second place are The Misfits, who believe they're the only American contestants to place in the top 3. And then, suddenly, Jem and The Holograms are announced first place and also credited for the designs The Misfits stole.
Ashley: I got a million ideas in my head, Shana, but I can't prove it. Would you teach me to draw clothes and models and stuff?
Shana: I can try. If you're willing to work at it.
Lin-Z: One last thought: Shana of Jem and the Holograms is the only performer/designer in any of the bands. Can she stand up against the full-time pros working for the other groups?
Roxy: The Holograms just have Shana. She's just an amateur. But you know amateurs get shook under pressure.
Roxy: Just the wimp I was looking for.
Shana: What do you want, Roxy?
Roxy: To save you the airfair to Venice, chump.
Roxy: Bobby Stark is our designer!
Shana: I'm impressed. So?
Roxy: He's way out of your league.
Pizzazz: You're just a potato sack seamstress for a bunch of orphans!
Stormer: Give it up. You're way out classed.
Shana: You're all wasting my time!
Jerrica: Who is this tense and negative person pretending to be Shana.
Aja and Kimber: (together) Who are you?
Shana: I'm scared, that's who!
Shana: (after seeing that her clothes are gone) I've had enough of this garbage. We know who's behind this and where they are!
Kimber: (yelling) You nearly got killed just to rip us off. Are you satisfied?
Aja: Now nobody has costumes.
Roxy: Don't be too sure, twerps.
Roxy: Eat worms, Shana. We're the winners from America!
Near the beginning of the episode, we can see Shana teaching Ashley how to design a costume. While Ashley is sitting on a stool, Shana is sitting on thin air. The missing working-stool appears in other takes further in the episode.
In the "Designing Woman" music video, one of the first shots is of Pizzazz grabbing Jem by her collar; however, Jem wasn't in the shop, she stayed outside with the others.
When The Misfits fall over the ledge at the bridge, Roxy is hanging onto Kimber's outfit, Pizzazz to Aja's, and Stormer to Shana and Jem's. Cut to commercial and Stormer and Roxy have magically switched positions.
Trivia[]
This is the first time that a satellite glitch interferes with Synergy's signal.
