Suited For Success

Suited For Success is the fourteenth episode of the first season of Legends of the Multiverse: Friendship is Universe. In this episode, Nene Amano wants to make dresses for her friends for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala, but has trouble satisfying all their requests. The title of the episode is a play on "dressed for success"; the word 'suited' here both refers to the original phrase, as well as the meaning of 'being appropriate'.

Production and development
The fourth Evolution of a Scene video states that the original title of this episode was "Dress for Failure", a more immediate reference to dress for success. Lauren Faust later confirmed this fact on Twitter. The ninth MLP scenes season 1 video features a shot of Olette, Pence, Roxas, Selphie Tilmitt and Wakka were at the beginning of the first fashion show, which isn't included in the final version of the episode.

The episode was #4 in the We Heart Ponies Fan Favorite Mare-a-thon, in the leadup to Hearts and Hands Day.

Arranging for a fashion show
The episode begins with a shot of the Carousel Boutique, which cuts to Nene Amano levitating a dress illustration and telling Figaro about her "stunning new gown" for the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot. She begins sewing it and makes Opal involuntarily help her.

There's a knock on the door and Kairi Sparkle and Sheriff Mulan enter, interrupting Nene's concentration, but she suppresses her irritation and asks if she can help them. Twilight asks her to fix a button on her dress for the Gala.

Nene insists on making Kairi a new dress instead and offers to spruce up Sheriff Mulan's "work duds" as well. Sally Acorn comes crashing into the room from above and knocks over some mannequins. Nene exclaims "I-de-a!" in a sing-song voice and offers to make Sal, Rapunzel, and Spectra Vondergeist dresses for the Gala too, and they decide to hold a fashion show with their new dresses. Sheriff Mulan questions whether Nene can handle the workload, but Nene laughs at the idea. The scene cross-fades to the song Art of the Dress, during which Rarity makes her friends' dresses.

Nene's designs
After the song, Nene leads her friends into the boutique with eyes closed, then shows them their new outfits. She proudly describes how each dress matches the animal it's for, and asks, "Aren't they all amazing?" The animals stand awkwardly in silence, then struggle for words; Sheriff Mulan says. "They sure are... sumth'n", Kairi agrees "Yes! Something.", Rapunzel says "I love something. Something is my favorite" with an awkward smile, and Spectra sadly says "It's... nice." Nene presses the animals for their honest opinion, and they all agree that the dresses aren't what they had in mind. Nene overcomes the disparaging reception and resolves to redo the dresses, wanting her friends to think they're absolutely perfect. After the animals leave, Nene wonders aloud, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Dress revisions
Spectra enters the boutique and Nene shows her her new new gown. The scene cross-fades to Spectra in front of a mirror wearing the dress, and she tries to placate Nene by saying she loves it, but Nene doesn't buy it and pressures Spectra into telling her what she really thinks. Spectra goes off into a stream of intricate complaints about the sewing and the fabric, which leaves Nene with her jaw dropped.

The scene cross-fades into a reprise of Art of the Dress, where each animal gives their input about the dress Nene sews them and Nene gets increasingly frustrated and exhausted. Kairi requests technically accurate constellations; Rapunzel requests lollipops, balloons, candy, and streamers; Spectra requests French haute couture; Sheriff Mulan requests galoshes; and Sally gives the vague request "it needs to be about 20% cooler." At the song's conclusion, having finished all but her own, Nene tells Opal that they are the ugliest dresses she's ever made.

The fashion show
Nene presents the dresses to her friends, and they all happily proclaim they're exactly what they asked for. Olaf and Navi arrives at the door and excitedly reports that he happened to mention Nene's fashion show to Holly Hobbie, which Kairi identifies as "the bigwig fashion hotshot in Canterlot", and that Holly Hobbie is coming to Multiville from Canterlot to see Nene's work. Nene shrinks in horror at the thought that Holly Hobbie will see the dresses her friends helped design.

At the fashion show, Nene peeks from behind the curtain and spots Holly Hobbie. She breathes heavily and tells herself to relax, certain that Holly Hobbie will like the outfits. She shrieks in panic when the lights dim, before realizing it means the show is starting. The show soon starts, and the DJ, DJ Candece and Holt Hyde, puts on a record as Olaf and Navi emcees. He announces the "breathtaking designs of Multiville's own Nene!" The animals step onto the catwalk in their dresses and come to stand on a rotating platform. The crowd responds negatively, and Nene's friends realize they overdid the dresses' designs. Holly Hobbie declares the dresses "amateurish," "a piled-on mishmash of everything but a kitchen sink," "the ugliest things [he's] ever seen," and other disparaging remarks. Olaf and Navi, still excited for Nene, asks her to come out and take a bow. She walks out with her eyes lowered, and the scene fades to the whispers of the crowd and the awkward smiles of Nene's friends on stage.

The drama
The next scene begins with Nene's friends at her door. Rapunzel knocks and asks Nene if she's okay, mentioning that she hasn't come out in days. Rarity goes on a dramatic monologue:

"I'm never coming out! I can't show my face in Multiville ever again! I used to be somebody. I used to be respected. I made dresses. Beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now everybody is laughing at me. I'm nothing but a laughing stock!"

- Nene

Kairi tries to coax her out, but she replies, "Leave me alone! I want to be alone!" The animals try to figure out what to do, and Kairi spies Nene's unfinished dress through the keyhole.

The scene fades to Nene in her room in front of a mirror in a robe and slippers, contemplating leaving to live in exile. Nene's contemplations are interrupted by Figaro's mewling. She searches for the origin of the noise out the window, and sees Figaro distressed and shivering, stuck on a tree branch. Nene runs outside to rescue her and finds Sally Acorn next to Figaro, chiding her for stranding Figaro on the tree. Sal points her attention to the dress that Nene's friends finished for her, "thanks to Spectra's freaky knowledge of sewing", according to Sheriff Mulan. When asked for her opinion on the dress, Nene says she doesn't like it—she loves it. The animals apologize for rejecting Nene's original designs. Nene forgives them but continues to wail about her ruined career. Fortunately, Holly Hobbie agrees to attend a revised fashion show at Nene's boutique.

The other fashion show
Holly Hobbie declares "take two", Olaf and Navi closes the curtains, and Rarity puts up a magic light show. Stylized animated backdrops accompany each dress presentation, with the dresses restored to how Nene originally made them, and Holly Hobbie expresses his amazement at the designs, calling them "simply magnificent," "brilliant," "spectacular," and "absolutely amazing." Rarity thanks him, and the scene cross-fades to Kairi dictating her friendship report to Olaf and Navi. In Kairi's report, she says "you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Holly Hobbie walks over to Nene and congratulates her for her impressive fashion debut and requests a dozen of each dress "by next Tuesday." Nene laughs nervously with a tic in her eye, and the scene cuts to black.

Quotes

 * Nene Amando: [sing-song voice] I-dea! I'll make you an outfit for the Gala, too, Sally.
 * Sally Acorn: Outfit for the what now?


 * Sheriff Mulan: So all you have to do is make a different, stunning, original, amazing outfit for one, two, three, four, five... plus yourself, six animals? And lickety split?
 * Nene Amano: Oh, Sheriff Mulan. You make it sound as if it's going to be hard.


 * Nene Amano: These are your new outfits. What do you think of your old duds now, Sheriff Mulan? Pretty swanky, are they not? And Kairi! I made this dress for you and I designed each outfit theme to perfectly reflect each animal's unique personality. Oh, it took me forever to get the colors right on this one, Sally Acorn, but I did it. Oh, and it turned out beautiful, don't you think? Ooh, and I know you are going to love yours, Spectra. It just sings spring! And Rapunzel, look! Blonde! Your favorite! Aren't they all amazing?
 * Kairi Sparkle: Wow... They're...
 * Sally Acorn: Yeah, they're...
 * Sheriff Mulan: They sure are... sumth'n.
 * Kairi Sparkle: Yes! Something.
 * Rapunzel: I love something! Something is my favorite!
 * Spectra Vondergeist: It's... nice.


 * Nene Amano: Tell me, tell me, tell-me-tell-me-tell-me!
 * Spectra Vondergeist: All right! Since you really wanna know... [inhales] The armscye's tight, the middy collar doesn't go with the shawl lapel, the hems are clearly machine-stitched, the pleats are uneven, the fabric looks like toile, you used a backstitch here when it clearly called for a topstitch or maybe a traditional blanket stitch, and the overdesign is reminiscent of prêt-à-porter and not true French haute couture. [pauses] But, uh... you know... um, whatever you want to do is fine.


 * Rapunzel: More balloons! Oh no, that's too many balloons. More candy! Oh, less candy. Oh wait, I know. Streamers!
 * Nene Amano: Streamers?
 * Rapunzel: Whose dress is this?
 * Nene Amano: Streamers it is.


 * Sally Acorn: What?
 * Nene Amano: Aren't you going to tell me to change something too?
 * Sally Acorn: No, I just want my dress to be cool.
 * Nene Amano: Do you not like the color?
 * Sally Acorn: The color's fine, just make it look cooler.
 * Nene Amano: Do you not like the shape?
 * Sally Acorn: The shape's fine, just make the whole thing you know, cooler... It needs to be about 20% cooler.


 * Nene Amano: Oh, Figaro. These are the ugliest dresses I've ever made.


 * Nene Amano: Leave me alone! I want to be alone! I want to wallow in... whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! ...Do animals wallow in pity?... Oh, listen to me! I don't even know what I'm supposed to wallow in! I'm so pathetiiic!


 * Nene Amano: Exile... I guess, technically, I'd have to move away to live in exile. Where would I go? And what would I pack? Oh, it's going to take me forever to do all of that packing. What are you supposed to pack when you go into exile? Are you supposed to pack warm?


 * Rapunzel: We all finished your dress for you!
 * Sheriff Mulan: Thanks to Spectra's freaky knowledge of sewin'.
 * Spectra Vondergeist: Do you like it?
 * Nene Amano: Like it? Like it?!
 * Spectra Vondergeist: Uh-oh. She doesn't like it.
 * Nene Amano: No, I don't like it.
 * Other animals: Aw.
 * Nene Amano: I love it!

Song

 * Art of the Dress