We've been putting this off for a while now because we knew that in order to make our case, we were going to have to produce a post practically Proustian in length (alliteration + literary reference = QUALITY BLOGGING). Get yourselves a cup of coffee, darlings. You're going to need it.
Despite what Andy Cohen said to us at the finale taping, we have not "given up" on this show. There are a couple of reasons for that. One is that we love fashion/creative reality shows, but the big reason is that we've been rooting since Day One for Bravo to get this one right. We felt that they were really screwed out of a show they'd done an awful lot to promote and find its place and we felt that they really deserved a chance to create a suitable replacement. Unfortunately, we think they rushed this one into production too quickly before they could really figure out what they wanted to do.
When we look at the show it seems really obvious to us that Bravo attempted to differentiate it from Project Runway as much as they could, especially with the introduction of a voting audience, but also in smaller ways: eliminating the mentor role, making sure none of the judges was a model or fashion editor, and introducing a mini-challenge. Those smaller changes don't bother us but that big change with the audience bothered us the minute we heard about it (and we heard about it long before we reported it to you guys). We'll return to all this in a bit because it's all window dressing. The real problem with this show is th
at in their attempts to differentiate if from PR, they threw out the wrong things.In our minds, there are many ways you could do a fashion design competition show and differentiate it from Project Runway. Foremost among them is to just do away with the runway show completely. The fashion industry has many ways of presenting its wares and they don't all revolve around walking models down a runway. It struck us as very strange that they would even attempt to keep the runway portion at the end since the show that everyone knew it was replacing; the show that everyone was going to inevitably compare it to, has the word "Runway" in its title. We would have thought that would have been the very first thing to go when devising its replacement. We realize that a lot of you are probably scratching your heads and wondering what the hell we're talking about. Hold that thought.
Now, as we said, they eliminated both the model and the fashion editor from the judging pool, replacing them with a judge who knows the American fashion industry like the back of her hand and a judge who's there merely to look pretty and who doesn't appear to have anything interesting to say about fashion outside of "I'd buy that." The latter turned out to be worth not much to the show in the long run, which neither surprised nor really bothered us. It's the former judge whose performance has been so disappointing. Fern demonstrated fantastic judging skills when she was on PR and occasionally we see glimpses of that on TFS, but for the most part her performance has been terribly disappointing. Based on her previous appearances on PR, we have to assume that the fault isn't hers. It's Isaac's.
In fact, as much as it pains us to say this, Isaac is a BIG problem with this show. He hogs the spotlight way too much and as the central judge, he determines the tenor of the judging. It's a situation that doesn't play to Fern's strengths. One of the many things that Nina and Michael get right is that they have always treated the other judges, not just Heidi, but any guest judge that happened along, with respect. Isaac just can't do that. He's too much of a bitch. Whenever another judge speaks, he gives off the distinct impression that he's allowing them to speak. Isaac is a colorful personality with a great deal of industry knowledge who's usually quite good on camera. He's been cast in the wrong role, is all. Now, hold that thought too.
Let's talk mentor. The most common complaint we hear about this show is the lack of Tim Gunn. Well, kittens, that was a given going into it. There simply was never going to be a Tim Gunn on this show and we initially thought it was a good idea not to even attempt to replac
e such a singular personality. There is no one in the public eye quite like Tim and if they had put in some pale shadow of a replacement, the poor person would have been raked over the coals. Having seen most of the season, we've amended that somewhat. No, they shouldn't try to replace Tim, but someone needs to walk through that workroom and offer their thoughts.One of the best parts of PR is the viewer experience of watching the creative process unfold. For whatever reasons, that aspect is completely missing from TFS. Like we said, the creators of this show chose the wrong parts of PR to eliminate. Having Kelly and Isaac walk through the workroom without actually offering their thoughts on the process makes absolutely no sense from either a viewer perspective or from an in-show perspective. What we mean by that is the viewer does not get the enjoyment of watching creative people defend their work to a mentor and the designers do not get the help with their work that anyone would need in a crazy, unrealistic situation like that. It's completely pointless and in fact, it makes our blood boil every time we're subjected to it. All Kelly and Isaac do is walk in, ask a couple questions, and all but roll their eyes at the designer before moving on.
Which brings us to our next problem: the utterly execrable staging on this show. Look, we're not naive. After 3 years of blogging and having met countless reality show contestants, hosts, and producers (and getting to hear a TON of behind-the-scenes gossip), we're more than aware that there is very little "reality" in your average reality show. There has to be a certain amount of staging. The problem is, these people are terrible at it. Those little hallway conferences
between Kelly and Isaac are the most cringe-inducing scenes on the show. Part of what makes PR work is the fact that Tim, Nina and Michael are all very well-spoken and can deliver a line or make a point not only with panache, but with clarity. Heidi less so, but her talents lie elsewhere. She's great on camera, she can fake a great personality, and she speaks from her gut. When she hates something, you know it and when she loves something, she can't hide it. She's not the most articulate out of the four regulars on PR but she's never had a problem getting her point across, even when she confuses bagels with hotcakes.Let's pause and recap for a second. The runway portion is too derivative of PR; the judges are not suited to their roles; Fern is lost, Kelly is useless, and Isaac is hogging the spotlight; there's no mentor; and the staging is terrible, not least because the principals are all very bad at getting their points across effectively. With us so far? Okay, moving on...
Another huge problem with this show is the format. We'll just quote ourselves on this one:
"[T]he judges are forced to restrict their decisions to whichever garments got the lowest and highest scores, which means by definition, the judges are forced to judge their way around other people's decisions and criteria. It's a murky process made doubly so because we have no idea who the vast majority of these people are (except for a shot of maybe 6 or so every episode) and we have no idea what information they've been given about the challenge and what the designers were required to do. '90% of the audience said they wouldn't buy your outfit.' Well, okay. Who the fuck are they, then?"
We suspected as much when we first heard about the judging audience and we're sorry to see that we were right: it just doesn't work for this format. Now, one of the things that really differentiates this show from PR is the prize at the end: there is no Bryant Park finale. Instead, the winner gets to have their line produced for sale. That was the ONE thing they got right in this show. It instantly sets it apart from PR, which, much as we love it, has too often had a "Here's your money and your car! Good luck!" aspect to it (which is why so many winners of PR haven't exactly set the fashion world on fire). The problem with TFS is, they had this great idea to make the show different by offering a different prize at the end, but they never gave a thought as to how that ending should have informed everything that came before it.
Project Runway deals for the most part with "high" fashion. The finalists all get to appear at the premiere American fashion event and the challenges quite often revolve around high-end clients and sensibilities. We had assumed going into TFS that it would be more focused on the retail and ready-to-wear end of things, but it hasn't worked out that way. They've had socialite clients and "inspiration" challenges when what they really should be focusing on is the nitty and the gritty of trying to design something for mass production, which is something they never really deal with on PR. There have been some complaints about how the judging on this show tends toward giving the win to pieces that will be relatively easy to manufacture but that's one of the things we LIKE about this show. It should be built into every challenge and every judging point. The designers should be aware of this every time they put pencil to sketchpad or go shopping for fabric. That's the real world of the fashion industry. That's what hundreds of lower-end designers have to deal with every single day: how to produce a garment that will sell and how to keep the costs down to make it profitable.
Wow, you're still reading this? Good for you. Okay, we've done enough bitching. Bravo, if you decide to do a Season 2 (and we hope you do), here's what we propose:
Go all in on the retail aspect of the show. Every week, the designers have to produce some garment, bearing in mind that it's for mass production. They have to find the cheapest fabric and design a piece with as little frippery as possible so that it can be manufactured at a reasonable price point. We can't speak for everyone, but we don't mind if we don't get to see gorgeous gowns every week. If they have to design a decent pair of jeans or a salable trench coat or a killer pencil skirt, so be it. It's not the end product so much as it's the process we all enjoy watching.
Don't fire Isaac. We realize that some of the readers might not agree with us on this, but when he's on, he's really on. So put him in a position where he can really be on. He shouldn't be a judge. He should be the mentor.
Now, now. Sit down for a second. Hear us out.
The best way to fulfill the mentor role without drawing comparisons to Tim is to put the most un-Tim-like person you can find in that role and Isaac fits perfectly. What we propose is that instead of casting the show with a bunch of designers, cast it with a bunch of newly graduated design students and put them in the role of Junior Designer to Isaac's Senior Designer. This accomplishes several things. One, if you put a bunch of hungry kids in there, it'll be a hell of a lot more entertaining. Two, they'll all be much more likely to know how to sew since they're fresh out of school and we won't be subjected to a bunch of safety-pinned garments. Three, we suspect Isaac will be a lot gentler on a bunch of kids than he would be on a bunch of semi-established designers. Have Isaac come in every week with an assignment ("Design a work outfit/dress/coat/whatever for sale at X price point. Here's an inspiration board for you. I want to see your sketches in 30 minutes.") and have him guide them through the process. He'll get plenty of chances to be bitchy, but more importantly, he'll get plenty of chances to be instructive, which we suspect is a talent of his we're not seeing yet.
Fern should be the lead judge. She's a goddamn expert and she's playing second fiddle to Isaac, which is a travesty. Get rid of the judging audience and get rid of the runway show. Instead, as co-judges for Fern, because mass production is the focus of the show, bring in a couple of actual buyers every week. You can't tell us that in all of Manhattan, you can't find two buyers with the kind of wit and personality to make a show like this entertaining. We've met buyers; they can be quite snappy and savvy, and the good ones have seen it all. There's a couple Gunn-esque diamond-in-the-rough potential reality TV stars somewhere in that industry. We know you can find them.
Instead of having the models walk a runway, do it salon style and have
them walk around right in front of the judges/buyers. Let every judge walk up to the garment and look at the seams and the pattern and the buttons and the zippers and everything that makes up the physical part of the garment. Not just to critique the execution, but to look at it to determine whether it's worth manufacturing. Instead of wasting time on a runway show that only draws inevitable comparisons, use that time so the judges (and us) can look at each garment, with the designer standing by to defend it. TFS doesn't let us see the garments very well and we only get to hear a couple designers defend their work each week. Have them ALL defend it. Have them stand right there as the judges declare their work crap or gold.Unfortunately (for her), there's no role for Kelly in all this. You'll pardon us if we fail to shed any tears about that.
That about wraps it up. Think about it, Bravo. And please, do something about the lighting, for god's sake. If you heed nothing else in this post, please just take care of that.
Okay, readers. Let's hear it.
[Photos: BravoTV.com]
Post a Comment
7/8/09, 4:13 PM
Some have commented that with weekly guests posing as the "Senior" designer, contestants won't be able to exhibit their own POV...or if Isaac alone were the Sr. week after week, it may get boring.
I get that - and suggest a solution.
What if the designers each build their own inspiration board? It could conceivably cover the first episode - kinda like a special preview episode.
Or, have the designers each arrive with their boards already done. It may even provide some inspiration for mini-challenges..."based on your inspiration board, style this tray of petit-fours for a DAR summer luncheon."
Also - as for having stitchers? Count me as a no vote. It would be way too many people.
They've already failed at helping us get to know these 14 designers. How on earth would they be able to showcase 28 people? And there's no way to make a stitcher background for the duration like the models. There would be way too much communicating (and fighting) between the designers & stitchers.
And then they would just complain about needing drapers and cutters too.
7/8/09, 4:24 PM
Yeah, I'm not on board with having the contestants be junior designers to a senior designer. That's what most of them are trying to get away from.
Also strongly against the designer/contestants having seamstresses do the sewing for them. Very few contestants have been eliminated for the reason of poor construction. If they can't drape or make patterns, then having a seamstress to work with them would not help one iota.
7/8/09, 4:54 PM
My 2c -
Of all the PRs, my favorite was PR Australia because of the tone and the camaraderie. There was very, very little cattiness and a lot of mutual support among the contestants and you really grew to care about each one. So with that in mind, my personal "musts" for a next season ... and no, none of these are new, just reiterations of things that have been said before in the hopes that, if they're said enough, they might affect next seasons' TFS.
1. Smaller group - Even the 12 that these sorts of shows usually start with are just too much. The first couple episodes are inevitably a blur of contestants that the viewer can't keep straight to save their life. Instead I love the idea of a smaller group and no eliminations until week 3, based on points. It'd take work to keep up the tension and excitement but I think it'd pay off.
2. Keep it nice. There's enough cattiness and meanness in the world without adding to it. Judging should be focused on turning out better designers, not on seeing who can zing out the best Mean Girl slam. Let the editing focus on the story and stop packing the hour with highlights of the meanest things said. Over and over the people shown in TFS and the people interviewed by TLO have come across as unrecognizably different. It's hard to cheer for people who are shown as having the maturity of junior highers. Stop editing to show them as such.
3. Educate the audience. Let the audience "get" the creative process from inspiration to sketch to sewing to judging. TLC has made a MINT from how-to shows; might as well get a piece of it and make TFS a bit of a how-to in it's own right, showing how to be a designer, what can be done with a sewing machine, and how to judge the look of a garment before buying.
Anyway, those are my moderately organized thoughts. Loved reading others' comments and hope that TFS2 is worth watching!
- Kit
7/8/09, 5:04 PM
Love almost everything you said. More Fern, different Isaac and bye Kelly (it's not personal.) But, I get a huge kick out of the runway-well, a well-lit one-and I would miss that part. The audience judging probably seemed like a good idea at the time. It's not.
7/8/09, 5:04 PM
Cup of coffee? Hons, I'm gonna get a glass of wine.
Will be back to read, but I can see this will take digestion.
7/8/09, 5:05 PM
I think the contestants should come as small teams, eg The Amazing Race.
I thought Keith was a no-talent pretty boy on the show. In an interview after he left, he said the producers said he only needed design skills, not sewing. Then I checked out his website. I love his designs: it's just that he can't sew them himself.
So if you have a team enter where one person is a brilliant designer, they'll still have a chance to win as long as the other team member can sew.
7/8/09, 5:26 PM
I have nothing new to add, I agree with all of the above that only your suggestions can save this train wreck of a show. Last week my hubs asked what I was watching and my answer was 'A Project Runway rip off that absolutely blows.' So he asked why I bothered watching it and I had to admit the only reasons I still watched were that it was summer and nothing else is on and b/c TLo blogs about it. I fast forward through most of it.
7/8/09, 5:28 PM
After her treatment of Angel, I'm not willing to give Kelly the free ride you guys are. She moved from banal to mean and insensitive with that one.
7/8/09, 5:37 PM
I completely agree with your assessment and recommendations. I don't have anything to add, but I just wanted to add one more comment to the pile in case Bravo is counting. I hope they make the changes you suggest so that the show becomes more watchable.
7/8/09, 5:56 PM
Perfect. Andy Cohen should pay you a consultation fee. If anyone disagrees and says this would make your critique unpure, so what. You gotta eat, too. This is brilliant and I know for sure that there are buyers from other regions of the country who would be insightful and amusing as judges.
7/8/09, 5:56 PM
"Gene Ha said..."
Gene Ha reads our blog?! SHUT UP!
Tom just had a nerdgasm!
7/8/09, 6:11 PM
QUALITY BLOGGING RIGHT HERE.
I agree COMPLETELY with everything in this post. Were Bravo to take these suggestions they would have a real winner. It might even be better than Project Runway.
I would be especially thrilled to see the mini-challenge go. Just give the designers ONE challenge and focus on that. It's fun to see the actual work that goes into making the garment that gets judged at the end, and with the mini-challenge there's no time for that.
7/8/09, 6:16 PM
I would watch the show that T/L want to see.
7/8/09, 6:23 PM
I like the idea someone suggested of having a different "head designer" each week. They could come in with their own idea board. It would require the designers to come up with new ideas and in areas they may not be comfortable in.
I would also like to have them design for a specific customer each week or a specific market which could be specified by the designer.
That's one area where the current judges don't seem to agree on -- who is the target customer for the designs. That needs to be clarified and defined each week. Project Runway does that well.
Isaac can tone himself down. He was a guest judge on Iron Chef last Sunday and was much more likeable. He wasn't really in his element -- not real sure why he was there -- but was willing to defer to the pros and learn.
Not sure he'd be good in the mentor role.
Agree that the audience voting has got to go, unless it's an audience made up exclusively of the target audience for that week's challenge.
That might work.
7/8/09, 6:50 PM
If Bravo doesn't make this proposed show, you guys should!
I personally am fed up with this show because I forced to chose between Merlin-esque creativity or Reco-esque execution. Give me both,please!
Oh&Kelly.. has got ta' go.
7/8/09, 7:01 PM
I love all of these suggestions, but wish you had spent a little more time discussing who to cast. At a basic level, how about some PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO SEW? I realize most of the casting is based on personality, but a bare minimum skill level should be tested for.
7/8/09, 7:32 PM
Why aren't you two employed full time at Bravo??? I love, love , love turning the focus over to producing apparel that can realistically be manufactured for resale. Think about all the crazy ass real estate shows out there...The best ones focus on the bottom line. People are very interested in money as well as fashion and, as any winner or finalist of past PR seasons can tell you, creativity without funding equals bupkus.
7/8/09, 7:35 PM
I wonder if choosing slightly more contestants before the show, arranging them to have a sewing bootcamp a week before taping and *then* sending them into a competition wouldn't be a bad idea.
It would cost the production a week extra for the contestants in a hotel and whatever the cost of a sewing instructor (I'm sure some heavy product placement for whatever institution who'd host this would pay for that part). Cameras, floor crew? No need (except maybe the last day) - it wouldn't be intricate to the show itself.
Sure, a contestant or two may drop out of it before the actual competition, but that's why you add a couple more. Then, the top 12 (or whatever) designers who present one outfit within the normal time period gets the show's spot.
Hell... it could even be an added incentive for designers to even apply if they're getting an immediate benefit of a guaranteed week of specialized construction and sewing workshops.
I wonder if that may drastically improve the fit and quality issues of some of these designs and may present designers with enough experience to tackle more complicated and daring projects.
7/8/09, 7:46 PM
I agree completely. Bravo should give it a try! If they are serious about keeping this type on show on the air it they should be open to all things that make it better.
This is a better show!
7/8/09, 7:53 PM
You bitches rocks!
7/8/09, 8:00 PM
Uh, Isaac's wanton bitchery was the only thing worth watching this season. Why would you want him to be nicer? I prefer my Reality TV to have drama, not nice church bakesale "Everybody hug each other" warm fuzzies. Bo-ring.
7/8/09, 8:03 PM
7/8/09, 8:03 PM
...Bravo owes you guys some money.
7/8/09, 8:08 PM
I think you all have great ideas and if Andy doesn't read and heed your blog no one will be watching TFS. Love the idea of having a different designer every week, too. At the end of the season they could follow up with a "How It's Made" show that actually follows the winners designs being produced. I'd love to have a peek into the sewing end.
7/8/09, 8:58 PM
I have nothing to add...you articulted it perfectly...are u listening BRAVO???
7/8/09, 9:01 PM
I totally 100% agree with everything - especially using "fresh" talent on the show!
7/8/09, 9:03 PM
Mizrahi as mentor is genius! I think you guys are right on. I also like the shift to a mass-market mindset and having buyers as guest judges. I think you are on to something with that...surely some made-for-TV characters exist among that bunch.
I say keep the runway, light the damned thing better, and if they want an audience - let it be everyday people! How better to distinguish it from PR?
7/8/09, 9:42 PM
I like your suggestions. The episode where they were to design from Isaac's look board was one of the more interesting ones. As for Kelly, I would say, keep the mini challenge, I actually have liked most of those. Even if they don't keep Kelly, I would still vote to keep the mini challenge. Hopefully Andy will heed some of your suggestions.
7/8/09, 10:30 PM
I hope Bravo reads the responses to this post and follow some of your ideas (actually, all of them are great). The idea about junior designers who can sew? Fabulous! Isaac as the anti-Tim Gunn? Brilliant! It's been tough watching TFS, but I keep watching because it has potential to be great. With your ideas in place, TFS can achieve greatness.
7/8/09, 10:35 PM
I don't have anythign new to add, but just wanted to say...
Great ideas, Tlo! I also like all the contributions made here in the comment section. Bravo will only gain by reading these.
7/8/09, 10:44 PM
EXCELLENT analysis of the show and how to make it better. I'd just like to add (and pray to god that someone able to make a change on that show is reading this) that I stopped watching the show and just started following here because I thought if I had to listen to that stupid hangin' by a thread thing ONE MORE TIME I would throw up my immortal soul.
So lose the cute punchy taglines already! Aufing works for Heidi I think because she says it generally in a kindly fashion. Watching Isaac and whats'er name deliver that line week after week just underlined that they weren't hired for their acting chops, aside from which I doubt the greatest actor in the world could make that line fresh.
7/8/09, 11:35 PM
I have two things to add to your suggestions:
1. There needs to be a ringleader of some sort. I know it is a bit of a Heidi role, but someone should be the principle voice.
2. Bravo needs to hire the two of you. You are a veritable television gold mine.
7/8/09, 11:37 PM
I think this is a really good analysis of what's wrong and what's right about the show. I hope Bravo take these comments on board.
P.S. great blog, guys! Long time reader here :)
Lisa
7/8/09, 11:55 PM
"Uh, Isaac's wanton bitchery was the only thing worth watching this season. Why would you want him to be nicer? I prefer my Reality TV to have drama"
Well, that's one out of 233 that feels that way.
Willa, have you tried the Real Housewives shows?
7/9/09, 12:17 AM
I'd say no to having stitchers. If the designers are all fresh talent, they should have to show at least a little knowledge of the basics of construction and design.
Keep the runway show. It can be fun, provided we can actually see the clothes.
I love the idea of no eliminations, and working with a point system instead.
Great suggestions, boys. Andy must read this blog; otherwise he wouldn't have been concerned about you giving up on the show. Let me be the 200th+ person to say "Bravo, please listen to Tom and Lorenzo." They know your audience better than you do.
7/9/09, 1:32 AM
I disagree with your assertion that only Tim Gunn can play the Tim Gunn role. Have you PR Australia at all? The mentor there, Henry Roth, is as un Tim Gunn-like as possible, and yet he is still very good at it.
The producers also need to work on their editing. I like seeing the camaraderie among the designers. Jay and Austin and Kara Saun were fun to watch in part because they clearly had fun together. I don't need to see everyone being all-bitchy all the time. Allow the designers to have a bit of fun now and then, and let us see it. I'm tired of how mean this show is. Everyone is edited to be mean, from Isaac and Kelly and Fern, to each individual designer. I'm sick of it.
I like the idea of having the inspiration board each week and have them work within those limits, but I agree with whoever said it would be good to have a different special guest designer to act as lead designer each week. I also want there to be the occasional crazy challenge. I love it when they use random materials for inspiration on PR, and if you can find a way to bring out the designers' inventive sides, all the better.
7/9/09, 2:16 AM
Fantastic! I would watch YOUR show in a heartbeat - you guys may not have given up on TFS, but I have.
Bravo, fix it, write TLo a check for taking your pile of garbage and making it gold, and I'll watch again.
7/9/09, 2:54 AM
Fantastic. Perfect. Brilliant. (Bravo, please listen.)
7/9/09, 3:05 AM
I am working out my response. It's complicated. TLo relates to and has a place in their heart for Bravo and I surely do not. Nor do I want to be a consultant to tv now or ever (you know TLo -- Bravo will grab you in the future for something...). I am not philanthropic toward this enterprise and apparently TLo is.
No way will the MizMeiser go from being the whole show enacter, the proverbial limo ride feasting on steak to a modified, Miz Lite Mr. Nice guy politely picking at salad whilst so ereuditely (sp?) informing the young uns' of "how to do it". WTF? I have worked in a support role to ego maniacs most of my working life and they do not cede their life's work - their queeny ego show - for nuthin'! That is equal to a breach of contract probably and the star will not go for it. Forget it.
I said earlier that they structured this little tet-a-tet on Simon Cowell (Miz) Fern (Randy) and Kelly (Paula). THey are not "bright" over there (where on Bravo do you see a scintila of brilliance? I see Chef challenges and more fugWife or fugPrep School) and that PR went to another place, SO WHAT? I deduce you are all misty eyed about the late fab "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". I loved it and it inspired me about as much as your blogs. Really. But that is history. So is PR, and I hope TFS.
I definately do not agree with your fresh young pulchritude junior designer idea. Putrid, not with Isaac you won't. Nope, this type of show calls for real people doing the real nasty, not kiddies weaning.
Generically, had TFS not tried so painfully to be PR and not sunk to sub par production values in almost every area in so doing: shoddy lighting, awful models, poor styling of models, horrible "writing" for Miz, Kelly and challenges, preposterous judging criteria, including the audience vote and comments, unforgivably off execution of winning designs hawked on Bravo, the free reign given to LeMiz by the writers to over-act and rule the set while contributing virtually nothing of positive value indicative of talent...THROW THIS SHIT OUT, pronto. I don't want to see Target Pro as my head designer to a bunch of young thangs ready for whatever this conceited case shovels at them. THis isn't the man's valentine to himself the Unzipped movie. This one has OTHER people in it. Yikes!
This is the Miz show, and re-tooling it won't be a possibility, unless it becomes an "Apprentice" and follows a team-leader format with ready to wear that will be sold in real stores as the goal. Should that be possible, it is a go, the other concepts are adding little round windows to the carriage of the clunker that failed. Nice thought, TLo, and thanks for the good read. Hope we are still friends.
7/9/09, 3:16 AM
Some thoughts I wrote up a while back, some of them are dated:
Host and Judges
I don't think that Kelly is great and when she is bad it is often when she is scripted. I disagree with the calls to "let Isaac be Isaac," but I think if they "let Kelly be Kelly," she is not that bad. She is at her worse in the workroom and reading the audience comments. I think she does a good job facilitating the judging and has made good points. Except for her smackdown of Angel her batting average of dumb comments is not much worse than the more seasoned Fern and Isaac. I like the Veronica Webb idea but the show needs someone young. I am closer to Nina demographically, but she, Heidi and MK annoy me with their continuous fixation on youth, for me it is somewhat tolerable if it comes from an actual young person.
Again, I disagree with the call to "let Isaac be Isaac," if he is in the workroom. He needs more gravitas and from what I've seen, Isaac being Isaac takes it in the opposite direction. If he is solely a judge, then it is OK provided that it does not undermine the "seriousness of purpose" when it comes to judging.
I think that they should do a Law and Order: Criminal Intent rotation with Isaac, Peter Som,* Veronica Webb and Kelly / a "young one." If they do look for another young one, and if they want to add to their young gay male demographic, I think Bravo should audition ANTM 12's Celia. If ANTM is an indicator, she will turn many young gay males out... turn them out! She will have twelve year olds coming out of the closet, "Mom I've done my homework and chores, Celia's on in five minutes - draw whatever conclusions you like, but don't bug me."
----------------------------
* the Law and Order idea is mine, but the idea of Som as a judge is not not mine. I didn't agree with all of his comments, especially his Renfaire disdain, but from the little I have see he is better than Isaac at being b****y while not losing gravitas.
7/9/09, 3:20 AM
Cast - I like the eclectic nature of this cast. I don't want recent grads... a bunch of Christians and Daniellas, heck no! I think the sewing issue will correct itself, that does not mean that a mediocre sewer won't make it in, but people will self-select once they know what the show is about.
Workroom and Mentoring - I think that they should rethink the workroom visit, but I am kinda stumped on how. Perhaps Kelly (or whomever) can focus on the sketch and Isaac / the designer on the Work-In-Progress. Another thought is that one of the judges can escort a mentor of the week through, kinda like what Chris March did for the drag queen challenge. I agree with Sewing Siren's point about Tim Gunn, by the time Tim rolled around fabric had been selected and cut and significant time passed. Of course there were times when designers benefited from his counsel, but too often it was too late.
Models - If they don't already, the designers should know who their models are before they sketch and select fabrics.
7/9/09, 3:21 AM
Judging - The audience vote needs to be totally shelved or used sparingly. Also there should be more engagement between the judges and the designers, if done the right way, the audience should accept the designers disagreeing with the judges / talking back. Unless someone steps over the line, there should be no camps against mean ol' judges vs. rude, ungrateful designers, (of course I can't dictate that).
Retailing - I really like that the clothes are available for sale, now if Bravo wants audience participation, the audience can vote on one or two non-winning looks that can also be sold on BravoTV.com.
7/9/09, 3:22 AM
Quick Challenges
I made this list of "idears" [/Heidi] for quick challenges a while back, and since then they have done some similar stuff, some of these may work better as elimination challenges:
I am not trying to be snarky, but since many folks have a problem with the quick challenges what are some ideas for them, my thoughts are:
* sketch a design based on certain instructions given;
* review a vintage collection and sketch an outfit that would fit into the collection;
* create a garment only by draping - no sewing allowed;
* conduct a model casting, including a mother effin' walkoff;
* have models / mannequins enter in an ensemble with no accessories and require that the designers style them, including hair and make up (coordinate with the hair and make up staff);
* instruct models on your preferred walking style;
* come up with a theme for a fashion show;
* design a fashion editorial;
* design a fashion campaign;
* supervise seamstresses and pattern makers
* Fashion Jeopardy (or some other game), I would especially like to see the contestants look at clothes and identify the designer and collection;
* something involving a thrift store or a vintage store.
------
I am not 100% sure but I think on Top Design and (maybe) Shear Genius, some of the non-elimination challenges weren't "quick" and the judges would go away and come back in a few hours or even the next day to judge the challenge.
7/9/09, 8:12 AM
amen!
seriously if bravo does nothing else to the show - do 3 things, the boys suggested:
- LIGHTING for christs sake!
- isaac as mentor. i honestly thought this would be his role when i first heard about the show & im sorely disappointed that its not. in his current role, a designer i truly enjoy comes off as totally unlikeable. the show is ruining him.
- make fern head judge. shes brilliant & knows her shit more than anyone else any network could ever hope to score for a show like this. like isaac, her talents are wasted in the current format.
other suggestions i vote for:
- get rid of whatsherface. im sure shes nice & all, but one appearance on PR australia does not a judge make. give the role to veronica webb. her appearance was a highlight of the season.
- stop with the snide comments in the hallway. wtf is this segment for? its a waste of time & everyone hates it.
- stop it with the fake audience bullcrap. it seems arbitrary & frankly it just feels like the producers are picking top & bottom. make the judges pick who stays & goes & who needs to answer for their work.
7/9/09, 8:39 AM
You've hit the nail on the head! Andy Cohen should watch his back - understanding what's wrong w the show and what to do to fix it is actually his job.
7/9/09, 10:58 AM
hear, hear!
7/9/09, 11:09 AM
Spot on gentleman! I couldn't agree with you more. Heres hoping Bravo reads this and does everything you said!
7/9/09, 12:54 PM
Thank god you mentioned the dismal lighting. The haze machine along with the strobes (with fake camera sound FX) are just plain cheesey. Isaac may be the most un-Tim Gunn like; I think you're on to something here.
7/9/09, 12:57 PM
I can only say B-R-A-V-O!!! This show's been driving me nuts and you summed it up perfectly. I repeat . . . BRAVO!
7/9/09, 1:02 PM
Love, love, love.
I couldn't put into words what was bothering me about this show, and you nailed it. It's about the PROCESS, not the PRODUCT, and this show robs us of that viewpoint.
Andy Cohen, why haven't you hired these guys as creative directors yet?
7/9/09, 1:07 PM
You, young men, are geniuses. This would really make the show interesting! I hope Andy continues to WATCH WHAT HAPPENS on the TLo blog!
Diane
7/9/09, 1:26 PM
another voice to say I agree completely. thanks for putting the time into this post.
7/9/09, 1:26 PM
I would wholeheartedly prefer the show you have described, TLo. Bravo had ought to be keeping you on retainer. I'd watch YOUR version of TFS and I think it would be everything this version is not.
7/9/09, 1:27 PM
I would watch your show TLo
7/9/09, 1:50 PM
To the people who are anti-young designer/rtw I say this:
While I agree RTW doesn't sound as fun as high fashion, it would be impossible to stay with the "high fashion" theme and not be compared to PR.
And you know what, PR was there first. They took the good idea, sucks for Bravo, it really does, but you can just continue to be the poor-man's PR or you can do something different.
If you try and take it to a "higher fashion" level (as someone suggested) you are just going to end up with a bunch of annoying conceptual designers who think their shit doesn't stink (JP).
RTW is really the only option, and if they do it right it can be a big hit. It will be very different from PR, and maybe it wont have the same crazy challenges as PR... but the point isn't to fill a PR void cause WHOOHOOOO PR will air!
The point is to make another show about fashion that is successful.
7/9/09, 2:10 PM
a said: If they do look for another young one, and if they want to add to their young gay male demographic, I think Bravo should audition ANTM 12's Celia. If ANTM is an indicator, she will turn many young gay males out... turn them out! She will have twelve year olds coming out of the closet, "Mom I've done my homework and chores, Celia's on in five minutes - draw whatever conclusions you like, but don't bug me."
a, don't you know that Celia is old? She's old, I tell you. Washed up and ready for the rest home!
Seriously, though, if they want young and smart, she's the way to go. She has a big following as a result of ANTM, and she knows her stuff. And since she's already put up with Tyra's raging ego, Isaac could be a cakewalk for her.
RE: Fern. I think she's been put in a very bad position on this show. She's been pretty vocal on her Bravo blog about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that's going on. So, even though she helped gang up on Angel in the B-Girl Kerfluffle of 2009, I'm willing to give her a bit of a break.
7/9/09, 2:57 PM
This sounds like a much more interesting show. I would LOVE to see a variety of outfits...not just gowns/dresses. Been there, done that.
Even though I've stopped watching The Fashion Show, I'm not giving up faith in Bravo's ability to turn out another fabulous fashion series. I've heard that Bravo's other fashion show, Launch My Line, is amazing.
7/9/09, 3:38 PM
I am sure all your suggestions would help a lot, but I find Isaac unwatchable at this point. More screen time for him would do me in for sure. And those stupid "catch phrases" have got to go. They are hanging by a thread!
7/9/09, 10:00 PM
So, you're writing a blog and not working for Bravo because ..... ????
Re: Kelly. To my mind if she ain't good enough for Beyonce' she ain't good enough for moi!
KnitWitNurse
7/9/09, 11:55 PM
Get rid of the hallway commenting on the designers work. Seems cruel to wander through the room and not tell the designers your constructive observations only to huddle in the hallway and discuss them out of their earshot.
7/10/09, 12:54 AM
Bravo never should have attempted a cheap knockoff of PR. Surely there can be a show about fashion, even a reality show, that is entirely different. Not all reality shows have to be contests either. Nor do they have to be contentious to hold our interest.
This is what is wrong with so much lately...no originality...only remakes and sequels, none of which are as good as the original. Money and ratings keep people from taking risks and being innovative.
7/10/09, 3:31 AM
I couldn't agree more...
KELLY NEEDS TO GO!!!
She is essentially nothing more than Mizrahi's parrot and yes-man, repeating and agreeing with whatever comes out of his mouth.
Her complete lack of knowledge and experience beyond spectator in the fashion industry shows and it makes her very uncomfortable to watch...
The only time she expressed an original thought on the show, she managed to offend a large portion of the viewing audience with her absurdly harsh criticism of a contestant.
7/10/09, 10:09 PM
Hilarious. I'm watching Project Runway Australia Season 2, episode 1 here:
http://realitytvfan.org/category/project-runway/project-runway-australia-2/
I'm a little short of 7 minutes into the show and the feel is so much better than The Fashion Show. Everyone is chipper, they look happy, and there hasn't been any bitching or obnoxious bragging.
TLo did a lot of work on this post that's going to go to waste. The Fashion Show is too flawed to fix. It should be scrapped and a new concept brought in with a new cast of judges and critics, under the direction of a different production crew.
7/11/09, 2:26 PM
Of all of the points you've made the one that I agree with the most is GETTING RID OF KELLY ROWLAND! She's truly awful and makes the close to intolerable. Does anyone notice that the majority of Kelly's comments are so obviously dubbed over in post production (i.e. whenever she says something about the designs the camera is never on her)? That's because she's too naive about the fashion industry (or fashion at all for that matter) to think of something clever and intelligent to say during the actual filming. Or maybe she's just not clever or intelligent.
The Fasion Show is just not as good as PR, but its okay enough to get us through the summer until Project Runway comes back. Sorry Bravo. Its a shame because I love the uniqueness of the network as a whole - very classy.
7/11/09, 2:30 PM
I think using mini-quickfire challenges in the screening process would help a lot, since this show seemed to have an awful lot of "designers" that are merely involved in the decision making process and...can't really sew.
7/11/09, 6:16 PM
You guys are BRILLIANT (I agree with everything you've written) and should have your own tv show, STAT!
7/13/09, 5:01 PM
"alliteration + literary reference = QUALITY BLOGGING"
LOL!
It was certainly disappointing that this show claimed to be about real clothes for real women but most of the designers really didn't seem to understand that part and they almost never got called on it.
I guess I was not as bothered by having pointless non-mentors because I've watched dozens of seasons of Tom on Top Chef and gotten used to it.
7/14/09, 7:12 PM
While I agree with most of what TLo advises, I have to agree with BarbH. I can't see Isaac taking a lesser role of Mentor and away from his hand waving/twitching domination of his current role. The man's got an hungry ego to feed and times are tough.
As for the lighting I think there's a basic problem here. There's runway lighting and there's tv lighting. The two don't mix well especially when you're trying to film for audience reactions to what's on the runway. What do you guys want to see more? The clothes or the audience's faces?
7/23/09, 2:20 AM
While I actually enjoy seeing poorly-constructed garments for the drama factor, sewers may not be a bad idea. Rather than sewing the garment for them completely, they should just be helpers. Each designer gets one helper. On Top Design they had carpentry help, but designers were still expected to do grunt work as well. There will also be interesting interaction (drama, perhaps?) between sewing assistants and the designers.
I hope that Bravo reads the post AND the comments. My feeling is that they won't use the feedback fully because then they'd most likely legally have to put TLo on the payroll in some fashion.
8/11/09, 10:14 AM
I agree with everything you said and I back Debby's comment.
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