Launch My Line: Merle's Collection

Time to check in with our girl Merle.

We said that we would have given the win to Merle and we almost talked ourselves out of that when we looked at Kathy's winning collection, but we're nothing if not fickle bitches and now we're swinging back around to the Merle side.

Not to be dismissive, but we've already talked about most of these looks, even if some of them have been altered. Rather than do a look by look rundown, let's just look at the collection as a whole.












Wow. Looking at it all together like this, we're struck by two things: how beautiful this collection is and how cohesive it is. There is only one look we don't like, the track suit, and even then we can admit that it's a pretty good design even if we don't like track suits.

Her color story is good, but she could have used some brighter or more saturated tones to offset all the overwhelming brown-ness. That orange and that pop of pink went a long way.

Here's the thing: judging by their commentary, it would appear that the biggest detriment to her winning the whole thing was her gimmick of making each outfit convertible in some way. We share that point of view with the judges. A gimmick, by its very nature, is going to cast the collection in a particularly down-scale light. Nothing wrong with putting a collection together of salable looks that the average woman could use to expand her wardrobe, but that's not what Merle and Thai did. They went for a particularly upscale aesthetic which forces the question: What woman out there is in the market for a red carpet gown that also converts into a cocktail dress? Answer: there's no such woman.

BUT.

She stated her gimmick with the first outfit and with every subsequent outfit. If the judges didn't think her gimmick was a good idea, they had a half-dozen chances to tell her that and they didn't. In a way, they kind of screwed her over because had the judges criticized her gimmick early, we have no doubt that Merle would have been smart enough to course-correct. She took every judge's criticism to heart and altered the offending garments accordingly. Had she known they didn't like the gimmick, she would have tossed it.

So now we're kind of back to saying that Merle should have won it. We didn't like the gimmick either, but every single one of these garments stands alone without it. That's a testament to both Merle and Thai. There may have been a gimmick involved, but they clearly put all their energy into making beautiful clothing first.

[Photos: Trae Patton/BravoTV.com]


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Launch My Line: Episode 7

Alright kittens, let's get down to it.

WANT: This show to be better.
NEED: This show to be over.

Here's an idea. How about instead of stunt-casting the Wonder Twinks, Bravo just reaches back into the pool of talent they helped nurture and use them to host/judge the show? Kara Saun had more interesting things to say, made better connections with the designers, and showed more comfort and ease in front of the cameras than Dan and Dean did the entire season. And think how much time could be saved without the twins having to change their outfits every time the camera sets up? Cast Uncle Nick as the host and get Kara Saun, Jay, and Laura to be the judges. We'd watch the HELL out of that. Wouldn't you?


So congrats, Kathy and Emil, who had to come up with a look that went from company party to a hot night club opening.

I don't know what "company" this chick works for but it's got a pretty lax dress code, wouldn't you say? The jacket's fine but the top is slutastic.

We like the skirt.

But we hate THAT. Gals, answer this: would you wear a flip-up skirt? It's like reversible wrap dresses. Clever, but who the hell would wear that?

Eric and Galina: Religious event to a high society cocktail party

We don't actually hate this. Maybe it's just that it's probably the least offensive look they've put out so far. It's not exactly classy or demur, but it is for those two.

THAT's awful, though.

We like the fabric they chose for the top and we like the idea of a bejeweled collar, but these two elements don't go together as well as they should.

Merle and Thai: Company party to a high society cocktail party

Not a bad entry, all things considered. She should have really had this one in the bag, though.

The jacket's kinda bleh.

But that back is spectacular.

And that hem is weird.

Louanna and Jim: Baby shower to a movie premiere

The judges said that Louanna failed to make a suitable baby-shower-to-movie-premiere outfit. You know why, judges? THERE'S NO SUCH THING. Not that it excuses the weirdness of this design. For one, the colors are pukey. Who wears a shiny white pants suit over a shiny pink blouse? Gross.

For another, there's just way too much volume all over this thing. Volume on the jacket sleeves...

Volume on the blouse...

And volume in the pants. Honey, turn the volume down. Oh wait. They sent you home. Never mind.


[Photos: BravoTV.com/Trae Patton - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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Launch My Line: Congrats & Goodbye

Limping to the finish line.

Darlings, it's become increasingly tiresome to sit through an episode of this show. However, unlike The Fashion Show, we still think this one has potential. We like the concept, the production, and even the cast, for the most part. What's making it difficult are the judges. If there's a season 2, we'd like to see all 4 of them scrapped. There's not a hair of difference in point of view between them and they're all so damn tacky that every episode we wind up thinking, "Why the hell am I supposed to care what these people think?"

Whoops. That was a little rant-y.

So, congrats Merle! We thought you were on your way out the door and apparently, so did you. We have to say, though, that jacket is HORRIFIC.

And the dress isn't really all that much to write home about, although it is very well made and fits her like a second skin.

It's just that we're getting awfully tired of the gimmick, y'know?

We get it. That's the "hook" for the whole line, but it just comes across a little, shall we say, downscale.

Which does tend to make for some comedy when Merle swans around the workroom, sniffing at everyone else's work like some couturier. Honey, they sell dresses like yours on TV at 3 in the morning. The attitude is a bit much.

Still, we do kind of love her. Especially for the "Denim is for farmers" line.

But honey, there's no defending that.


This would be the look that inspired that little rant of ours up the page. Actually, that's not quite true. It wasn't the look so much as it was the judges' reaction to it.

Not that any of the looks last night (or most other nights) were so far ahead of this one, but come on, this look was the clear loser and the judges all hemmed and hawed and made excuses for it.

They make THE EXACT SAME DRESS every week with only slight variations and if it was a pretty design or an innovative one, we might excuse their tendency to return to it again and again, but it's not. It's flat out ugly. And the judges defend it - praise it, even - week after week.


Come on.

And if you look through his collection, you'll see the exact same neckline again and again.


Ugh. We can't.

We like Patrick very much. In fact, we think Bravo should consider giving him his own show. We'd certainly watch him dash from fashion event to fashion event all over NYC. Consider it, Andy Cohen.


[Photos: BravoTV.com/Trae Patton - Screencaps: Projectrungay.blogspot.com]


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