Okay. Sat and watched Bravo's Project Runway replacement called "The Fashion Show." I was sold when I learned that Isaac Mizrahi was the host. Love him! My heart broke when he decided not to renew his contract with Target. Overall the show was interesting but there were some things that got on my nerves (skip to Kelly Rowland). Here's my recap:

Winning Design by James-Paul


Runner-up Design, by Merlin



EPISODE 1 - The Must Have
I thought that there was a good mix of talent (and no talent) to make the show somewhat interesting. The quick challenge was great. They had to make an LBD out of a black T-shirt. That quickly separated the talent from the no talent. It will just be a matter of time for a few folks. The winners became the leaders of teams for the weekly challenge. On this challenge, they had to choose a must have piece. Then the team had to create different looks incorporating the must have piece to create a cohesive collection for the runway show. For me, none of them have a clue what a must have piece really is. A must have piece for your wardrobe includes a trench coat, a LBD, a pair of khakis, a jean jacket, a crisp white shirt, a well structured suit, etc.

The teams chose the following: harem pants (trend not a must have), bolero jacket (trend not a must have), and a tube skirt (seriously, no explanation needed). The team that designed the bolero jacket, Merlin's team won the challenge. The winning designer was James-Paul with Merlin's happening shorts outfit with the big A flower as the runner-up. I was very pleased with the outcome. Both designers were innovative and created something amazingly beautiful despite what Kelly Rowland and IM had to say!

There are a couple of cool things about this show as compared to Project Runway.

1. The runway show is stacked with fashion insiders and fashion "folks in the know" who give comments and vote on each look.



2. The runway is a true-to-life runway as if you were at Fashion Week.



3. The contestants were judged on their own outfits not on the success of the team. I never thought that was fair because in the real world if you are the boss, folks WILL do what you say or they won't be working for you for long. Like Michael Kors would let someone tell him what he should design for his couture line - Not!



4. You can buy the winning looks on Bravotv.com. I actually checked it out and the winning look was available in sizes 0 to 10. I'm shocked because the Project Runway outfits were only available in model sizes (0, 2 and maybe 4). The outfit is priced at $199.00.



5. Isaac Mizrahi really has a big heart but is brutally honest just like Tim Gunn.

ISAAC MIZRAHI
It is very hard for me to say a harsh word about Mr. Mizrahi because I love him but I was annoyed with him when he said that he was ashamed of all of the designs. That was just rubbish. The two designs that were winner and runner-up were definitely fashion forward and in good taste. He was just acting. But I will let him slide, this week.

KELLY ROWLAND
HATE HER! Love her as a singer, hate her on this show. WHY? Who picked her. She is not even someone who regularly appears in In Style Magazine which settles the score about which celebrities have style. Not saying that she doesn't have style but she is not a trendsetter. So why is she the co-host? There just wasn't ANYONE else available, obviously. Can she get over living in Beyonce's shadow, please! Arrgghhh. She was just so negative as if she has some fashion credentials. But I digress.

MY FAVS
I adore Merlin and James-Paul. The jury is still out for me on a few folks.

MY "CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU VOTED OFF" FAVS
Crybabies Daniella and Kristin - grow up!

You can catch full episodes over at Bravo TV.