When I heard that Project Runway was going to Lifetime, my initial thought involved a bit of fear – I didn’t want one of my favorite shows to get watered down. But, when I heard that Bravo had come up with a new fashion competition – The Fashion Show- hosted by none other than Isaac Mizrahi, I was very excited. The Bravo network gives design shows a bit more legitimacy than say, a network known for shows like Army Wives or a Chanel film that casts Shirley Maclaine as Chanel (wtf??). And Isaac Mizrahi? Love him. He’s a great designer that has had his own share of ups and downs and is such a character (Unzipped anyone?).

The Fashion Show is “the same but different” in a lot of ways to Project Runway – here’s a little comparison:

Magazine Sponsor: Elle (PR) v. Harper’s Bazaar (TFS)
Designer Judge: Michael Kors (PR) v Isaac Mizrahi (TFS)
Fashion Industry Heavy Weight: Nina Garcia (PR) v Fern Mallis (TFS)
Host: Heidi Klum (PR) v. Kelly Rowland (TFS)

The competition is laid out a bit differently: In The Fashion Show, there is a mini-challenge before the main challenge for each episode. There’s still a runway show, except in The Fashion Show, buyers and celebrities are invited to vote on the looks. The winning look for each episode is sold on the Bravo website.

These minor differences in the layout of the competition don’t really bother me – what bothers me are the personalities, or the lack thereof, on The Fashion Show. My major peeve is the selection of Kelly Rowland as a host for a show based on fashion. She is not, nor has ever been, working in the fashion industry. She is not known for amazing fashion sense (or for having a good stylist) like a Rihanna, for example. To the contrary, Tina Knowles dressed her when she was relevant – and we know that was not a good look. She’s not even known to be one of those celebrities that you can expect to see at the runway shows like the Olsens. So, why is she there? That’s a good question, I find myself asking that throughout the whole show….

The people on Project Runway had personality – and lots of it. Heidi Klum was no runway model (at least that’s what Karl says) but she works in the fashion industry and her avetazngs are adorable. Michael Kors’ bubbly personality made even the harshest criticism not seem so bad. The elegant Nina Garcia knows what she’s talking about and I respected and listened closely to what she had to say. And, who can forget Tim Gunn and his “make it work.” I miss Tim. He really mentors and guides the designers through their process. He gives designers feedback that they can use. It’s interesting to see how someone so high in his field looks at design and to hear the critiques he gives young designers.

I can’t say the same thing for The Fashion Show. The hosts don’t really give feedback to the designers. Isaac and Kelly just ask questions and give the designers blank stares that make the designers question everything they’re doing – and that’s when they like the design! I don’t really take anything away with me when I watch the show. I wish Bravo had taken a bit more time to really come up with a different fashion based concept and selected the right person to host the show. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m looking forward to the new season of Project Runway…even if it is on Lifetime.