Ro Must Go
Houston contingent sliced in half on The Fashion Show: The Ultimate Collection
Rolando Tamez is a gonerPhoto by Heidi Gutman/Bravo
Which design would you vote off....This one by Tamez?Photo by Heidi Gutman/Bravo
Or this horrible jumpsuit by David Caldwell?Photo by Heidi Gutman/Bravo
Cesar Galindo's 2001-inspired outfit was a winnerPhoto by Heidi Gutman/Bravo
Say it ain't Ro.
Houston designer Rolando "Ro" Tamez got kicked off The Fashion Show: The Ultimate Collection Tuesday night because he didn't interpret a 1960's-era style to the judges' satisfaction on the Bravo reality series.
Designers were asked to design a fashion-forward look inspired by a time capsule. Each designer selected a lock box containing mementos from a particular year for the challenge. To make the competition even more absurd challenging, plaid fabric had to be incorporated into the outfit. (Makes you wonder where the producers of these shows come up with such ideas.)
At first it seemed like the other Houston designer in the competition, Cesar Galindo, would face the greatest challenge when he ended up with 2001, the year dominated by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers.
But Galindo used the challenging year for inspiration, designing a chic pair of plaid capri pants topped off by a blouse hoodie that could be pulled over the head to symbolize wanting to hide from the world or pulled down to indicate it's time to get involved again.
Early on, we knew Tamez was in big trouble when he sketched a jacket with big shoulders and a nipped waist as a look representing 1969. Judge Isaac Mizrahi pointed out it looked far more like something from the '80s than the '60s. But it was hard to blame Tamez for not knowing a '60s look — as he was born in 1986.
Although Tamez made brave statements like "I'm here to win. No matter what it takes to win, I will do," he was clearly outclassed. His first attempt — a gray dress with black piping — was a disaster as the piping didn't align properly. "Piping is something I haven't worked on before," he admitted and it was evident.
So he switched gears and whipped up a pencil skirt and shapeless blouse, which the judges rightfully pointed out was boring and had no '60s references whatsoever.
When Tamaz landed in the bottom two with David Caldwell, I knew he was a goner. Caldwell, a charming Oklahoma native, is the only straight man in the group and the show is developing a budding romance between him and California native Dominique David, although she emasculated him in front of the judges when he became tongue-tied and couldn't defend his design. (Although who could defend a jumpsuit with a shoulder pad collar that he insisted his grandmother would wear?)
These shows thrive on conflict and the Caldwell/David angle is too juicy to pass up.
Meanwhile, Galindo and Eduardo de la Casas are the class of the bunch. Both are over 39, which proves that although the fashion world is obsessed on youth, it's age and experience that ultimately wins out.
