PROJECT RUNWAY (Bravo)
I have to say that even though I thought Kelli’s was the worst outfit tonight, she’s the last person I would’ve given the boot to. Kenley proved that you can play second fiddle and still have some impact on the finished product, so I hated to see Daniel and Leanne skate by without much of a fuss simply because they weren’t the team leaders. I would’ve liked to see Daniel go home…just repeating you have impeccable taste does not make it so, and I have yet to see him produce anything memorable in a good way (I’m still reeling from last week’s Talbots-looking number). It’s plainly obvious that Daniel’s not going to have any chance of showing a collection at Fashion Week, so why not rip off his band-aid and send him packing now? Kelli might not have made it to the finale herself, but I would’ve thought she’d have a whoppin’ chance compared to Daniel.

As for last week’s episode, it definitely made me pay attention to the U.S. Olympic Team’s opening ceremony outfits, designed by Ralph Lauren. They looked great and all, but did our team have to look so WASPy? So TrustFund? I’m all for them looking like they’re a successful, commanding force…but I think you can pull off looks (as represented by Korto and Joe last week) that look powerful and American without looking like we’re all part of the lockjaw set.

FROM THE GROUND UP (Fine Living Network)
Despite my initial half-aversion, I gave this show a second shot when I noticed several episodes piled up on the DVR, and I have to admit this incarnation of Debbie Travis is growing on me. She’s turning out to be the uber-demanding kind of boss that would intimidate the H out of you, but you know you’d learn so dang much from her so maybe the ulcers and the Pepto lattes would be worth it in the end. The thing I am especially loving is that most of the challenges her proteges face are straight out of real design-tycoon life…the most recent I’ve watched involved designing an after-party at a design conference and a spate of “living ads” set up in the Canadian National Gallery promoting Travis’ future lifestyle condos. It’s much more impactful to see the designers’ work showcased to more of a public crowd than the typical 3-person judging panel, partly due to the increased pressure that comes with projects that carry Travis’ name in public. The proteges are not just representing themselves, they have the added bonus of representing Debbie Travis (TM). That’s a layer of stress most reality show competitors just don’t have to face.