Next in Fashion

Tan France and Alexa Chung are delightful hosts but we needed to see less of them. Same goes for the designers' backstories which are laboured rather than engaging. It's be so much more interesting to see them at their craft rather than seeing their primary school photos. The production is over engineered. The jump edits, the fake 'three, two, one, GO!', the confected judging conversations - are all unnecessary distractions. Frankly, I don't even understand the need to start the competition in teams of two and finish as individual competitors. Kudos though to the runway stage designers; their work looks great. The heavy handed, host-centredness of the show is particularly galling because the fashion is so good. The design sensibility and, in most cases, construction seems so elevated compared to its OG - Project Runway and its infinite spin-offs. By the last few episodes I was fast forwarding to the runway segment because it's bookends were completely tedious. I hope Netflix finds a way to recraft the show so that the design work (not the hosts, the guests, the editing or frankly even the designers) gets to be the superstar. Five of my seven stars is for the fashion.

I loved how it shows new and fresh eyes to fashion and wearability. As you have probably read in other reviews, I disagree with a lot of the decisions made in this show. Judging is not good and very biased and influenced by various elements which makes it really frustrating and can't imagine how designers who were unfairly let go would feel.

Season 1 was so well done. I liked the emphasis on the designs, the layout, how the critiques took place in the back after the runway show. Season 2 has more colors and is fun but the editing is so awful. I get a headache watching it and can't really focus on the designs. It's not what I would expect from a competition type show- more like what I'd see on a tik tok. Did they run out of qualified applicants for their editing department?

In S2 I feel like we don't get enough time on the designs and design process. I don't mind Gigi as a host but did enjoy Alexa more. Overall the focus doesn't SEEM to be on the designs and how they're presented to viewers.

Marry S1 and S2 and they could have a great S3. If Season 3 is like Season 2 I won't bother watching.

I only have one complaint and that will come at the end of my review. I really enjoy this show because it just seems fresh and friendly. Other shows of this genre seem to have almost violent tendencies among the contestants towards one another, with infighting and insults. Everyone - so far - has been very respectful of one another with no tantrums. No one is over the top crazy acting out. I like that. It is just altogether more casual than Project Runway. Also, as opposed to Project Runway, the contestants seem to be very professional people, yet don't have inflated opinions of themselves. Now for my criticism. Why is it necessary for this show, and others similar, to use the term "old lady" to describe something that is out of style? Couldn't they just say "old fashioned," or "passé," other than insulting older women? They say it as if old ladies are the worst thing one could be.

I found it fresh and interesting at first, but only made it through 2 full episodes before just skipping through to the runway sections for the rest. It was because of the chaotic editing and noisy nonstop talking that felt like filler before the good stuff.

Also, the whole teaming system in the beginning made zero sense, with some teams having unfair advantages (knowing each other for over 20 years) over others who were strangers and clearly ill-paired. One of the designers got all the way to like episode 6 or 7 without having any technical skills, but got to that point because of his much more talented teammate. There might have been some missed potential in some of the earlier eliminated contestants.

The judging also felt messy and biased at some points. They always emphasize "pushing the envelope", but then go for the safe designs at other times.

Overall, still a good show because the designers are very skilled and the runway shows are fun to watch. Some more cohesion and better editing would make this one to watch.