‘Fashion Star’ review: It’s really better this season, promise

We know that the ratings for “Fashion Star” were pretty atrocious last week, and we would not necessarily be shocked if NBC ends up pulling the series if it drops further. In a way, this is rather sad given the commitment that producers actually made to improve the show this year. While we’re hardly a fashion expert, we do appreciate a good competition, and the streamlined approach (less judging!) has allowed us to get to know the designers more. Therefore, we feel so much more when some of these designers score victories, and we’re equally sad to see their dreams crushed.

The theme for the week this time around was “sexy” clothing, and there were plenty of designers that really tried to impress with looks that were somewhat outside of the box.

Team Nicole Richie

Priscilla Barrasso – Love the salmon color, and even without a knowledge of fashion it is pretty clear that this color is in. However, the fit was not exactly perfect on the lavender counterpart. No buyer.

Daniel Silverstein – This definitely fits the “sexy” level, though from the distance the fringe dress may look like the woman wearing it is really not wearing anything at all. Nonetheless, the fit was really great. Buyer: Macy’s for $95,000.

Johana Hernandez – This looks like something suited for a very glam dinner out on the town, and Nicole Richie has to be feeling absolutely ecstatic about her team’s performance. Buyer: Express for $125,000.

Team John Varvatos

Silvia Arguello – There was a big to-do about Silvia being forced to use a bright green color for one of her dresses, and it was pretty “meh.” Nonetheless, someone was able to look past this. Buyer: Saks Fifth Avenue for $50,000.

Cassandra Hobbins – The model looked like Gwyneth Paltrow, and this looked like the sort of thing that Gwyneth Paltrow would actually wear. It was not our personal cup of tea, but you could tell that it was well-designed. Buyer: Saks Fifth Avenue for $55,000.

Amber Perley – This was a nice piece that also showed off plenty of back, but there really was not anything that stood out about it to us. However, that does not mean that she left without a sale. Buyer: $60,000 to Express.

Brandon Scott – The way the buyer all said “no” here was rather painful, and we agree that this outfit was a little uninspired and featured weird color choices. If nothing else, at least he looks like one of the creators on “Lost.”

Team Jessica Simpson

Tori Nichol – You knew the moment that this came out that there was potential to it, even though Tori did not really finish the green dress. With that being said, the fundamental flaws here (especially the floral print being dated) that held them down. No buyers.

Garrett & JesseRay – Easily, these two guys win “Most Improved” on the night. They impressed enough with a form-fitting dress with a unique style to catpure buyers from every retailer, and then they just sat back and watched the bidding war commence. Buyer: $140,000 to Macy’s.

David Appel – It really has to be hard to do men’s clothing in this round, mostly because for ladies, it is so much easier to have a discernible sexy look. The sad thing about this was that it was made for the wrong season. No buyers.

Hunter Bell – This was not a dress that we particularly loved, mostly because the tan-and-red did not really look. By contrast, the black look was sleek and would work well for a night of cocktails out on the town. Buyer: $75,000 to Express.

The elimination here did not really come as a surprise to us. Tori struggled to complete her clothing this week, and for that reason alone, she had to be the one to leave. Plus, David didn’t really make a mistake outside of picking the wrong season. The look on his face when he was declared safe? Priceless.

What did you think about this episode, and are you in agreement that we are looking at a vastly improved show this season? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and you can read our review of the premiere here.

Photo: NBC