Next in Fashion

I liked it and agree with the other reviewers - it was nice that it was more positive than the other fashion reality shows we've seen already. It was also nice to see work from already experienced designers who can actually sew really well, so the quality was definitely there in their work. I think eliminating 2 people every time I suppose sped up the show but didn't give us a sense of who these designers were really. I also think the show tried to be "woke" and mitigate any race cards being played as is common these days to garner sympathy.... so they had designers from all over the world, very multicultural. But alas, the race card was pulled, I'll let you find out for yourself when. And it didn't have grounds to be honest. Overall this was fun.

I enjoyed this show a lot. It was more positive and upbeat than your average reality TV competition. For once, the contestants supported each other instead of stirring up catty drama. The challenges were fun, the fashion was fresh, and the runway shows were well-done. Even the range of diversity in both the contestants and the models they dressed was refreshing. Alexa Chung and Tan France as co-hosts was my dream come true and they got a good set of guest judges to add some interesting perspectives.

I also liked that it really showcased the talents of the contestants rather than how well they faired through unrealistic challenges. Time was their only constraint and they had limitless materials to help them realise their designs. They were told that if a fabric or item they wanted was missing, the show would provide it for them. It was a welcome contrast to Project Runway where you can see good designers struggle when forced to only use items from a hardware store or pieces of candy.

I did think there were a couple first-season kinks in the format. First, I wish I had a little more of an introduction about how the show was going to work at the beginning. I couldn't tell if the initial groups were paired up by the designer's choice, if they applied with each other, or if it was a surprise when they arrived. It wasn't clear from the beginning where the show would be heading. I also really didn't like the elimination system. Why did they need to pull out a bottom two if the judges already decided who was going to be eliminated? I felt like there should have been some sort of elimination challenge or the judges should have deliberated after a bottom two was chosen. Or just say who was voted out instead of having them make a futile attempt to save themselves. Hopefully a second season will work these things out!

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.

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.

I can remember just couldn't wait for each episode of season 1 but the vibe for Season 2 just wasn't the same. It seemed very rushed and each show or challenge was rushed giving designers for example coming up with designs and fully making their projects in 4 hours is just insane. It seemed low budget - no trips to the fabric store in New York Mood Fabrics like in the past. I did pick the winner from the very beginning so happy with the final results. I thought the gender mixing wear such as the male in the off the shoulder gown was over done, didn't care for some of the themes such as childhood etc.