PoptropicaStars Fashion Fever S2 Interviews: Iris's Elimination

Iris Lawson, a 22-year old housewife from Bloomington, Minnesota, was eliminated by a photo finish mistake in the Elimination Game which caused her to drop from first place to last place, leading to her exit from the competition. She remains to this date the oldest contestant to participate in PoptropicaStars Fashion Fever. After leaving the lair and packing her belongings, she was relocated to the elimination villa in Malibu, California at 9:05 A.M. where her fellow eliminated designers were sequestered. Jennifer, Danielle, Tiffany and Kendra welcomed her with open arms and were shocked with the outcome. The elimination fashion designers grabbed trail mix snacks, a cool glass of lemonade and sat at the luxurious beige sofa to watch what led to Iris's demise in the fifth episode. After finishing the video, Iris decided to teach everyone how to make a braided bracelet from the designing supplies received in the afternoon. Everyone had a uniquely colored bracelet especially Kendra's which she redyed mauve to compliment her skirt. Later during the night, the fashion designers went out to a fitness center where they could keep in shape to lift weights.

After getting back to the villa, Iris received a surprise phone call from her husband, Henry, and toddler, Luke. They told her no matter what, they were still proud of her for making it far in the competition.

Before Iris arrived at the elimination villa, she had to prepare for her interview with Nick Burley, the host of Good Morning Poptropica. The interview started at 7:25 and Nick asked these questions during the interview.

NICK: Good morning, Iris! We know a lot of viewers have been cheering for you to win this season, so how are you and how are you feeling right now?
IRIS: I am doing and feeling really great, Nick. Thank you very much for asking.
NICK: Okay, I'm going to ask you a series of Fashion Fever and personal related questions and you have to answer them as honestly as you can. Ready?
IRIS: Okay, let's start.
NICK: What was your reaction when you found out you had the wrong photo in the Elimination Game?
IRIS: I wasn't shocked, but I had a feeling of pressure and urgency that I had to find the photo before anyone else checked into the lair. I saw and heard Heidi checking in when I finished looking at the farmer picture, so I knew Monica was the only one left on the mission and I had to quickly find the farmer before she finds her remaining portion of the photo set.
NICK: What was your overall strategy in competing against the other fashion designers?
IRIS: My strategy coming in to this competition was to be as honest as I can be and try to be a well-rounded designer. Working at my Traci's boutique shop, I knew being a people-pleasing person would be an advantage for me because who would want to vote off a caring, pleasant designer.
NICK: Before the Bollywood fashion assignment, you calmed Kendra down, and you made a deal with her to work together in the game? Why did you still write her name down after Nariah won fashion immunity?
IRIS: I had to calm Kendra down so she would not become an emotional wreck and I did not want to see that side of her. She has suffered enough with insults from Tiffany, I had to give her a break from excessively crying. I said in a frank manner that I would work her. Honestly, I would have loved to collaborate, but the more you think about it, can you actually trust someone who has constantly deceived others in order to eliminate them?
NICK: Good point, now how did you handle homesickness missing your husband and child?
IRIS: I told my husband to take care of my child back home, he's turning one in a couple months, and for my child, I gave him a kiss and said "Mommy will bring back many great clothes." I thought about them every minute of the competition and they are the shining inspirations that made me want to join PoptropicaStars Fashion Fever.
NICK: Are you surprised you outlasted four eliminations and almost an Elimination Game this season?
IRIS: I am pretty shocked I even passed the critic review, haha. I had confidence when I was going to the airport to fly to Los Angeles to be a part of the competition, but when I entered the lair, it seems that I had lost hope in winning because when everyone started greeting and chatting, every designer I was with seemed better prepared than me. Heidi said she is a fashion blogger, Monica is a bridal dress sewer, Danielle makes and markets her own line of casual clothing... for me, I'm just a 22-year-old mom who loves to design clothes in her free time. It was overwhelming at first, but once you get the gist of the concept, it's a piece of cake for a designer.
NICK: You hit a couple bumpy roads on your trip to the final 4, what was your struggle that made you feel close to giving up?
IRIS: There wasn't a time when I thought about giving up since I wanted to show everyone I am capable of designing no matter the circumstances and I had fun along the way. However, a time when I felt most disappointed and ashamed was during the critic review assignment where we had to travel to an island to give a critical reception to a random stranger on their fashion instincts. I don't know if they shown it on television, but I tried asking about eight people in the barren desert for me to review their apparel, but they thought I was a freaky lady idiot asking them for a review, so they ignored me. It was about a few miles before I found a guy wearing gothic or punkish clothing that allowed me to review his style.
NICK: We had positive feedback on the food the bed & breakfast served to the fashion designers. What did you think of the food you ate there?
IRIS: That's a good question. I think the food tasted pretty great. I'm not a big fan of luxury dinners like lobsters, filet mignons or all-you-can-eat desserts so I didn't order any of those meals, but I enjoyed the potato salad and bite-size sandwiches for lunch the best.
NICK: We're running out of time right now, so who is you favorite designer in the game right now you are rooting for to take the Next Fashionista title?
IRIS: I am cheering for my lovely ally, Nariah, to win the competition because I formed an alliance with her when neither one of us had a trusty buddy. I think she will do well in the final 3.
NICK: It was very nice to meet and interview you, Iris. Thank you very much.
IRIS: I appreciated it. It is an honor to meet you, Nick.