I’ve been excited for season two of Joe Zee’s All on the Line ever since seeing him film at the Spring 2012 Nicole Miller show. At the time, I theorized that the reality show’s camera crew was there because they were filming an episode with the designer and, in fact, that was the case. What’s exiting about that is that unlike the other designers who have previously enlisted the Elle creative director’s help, Miller is a household name with enviable success and over 20 years of experience under her belt. Turns out Miller needs Zee’s help to attract a younger demographic and celebrity and blog attention. Seeing her Spring 2012 collection, I had a feeling Miller was trying to reach a younger audience and I didn’t find that she was doing so successfully, so I am excited to see what Zee thinks.
The premiere of season two is slated for November 25 at 9:30 PM ET/PT and I was able to preview it. The episode features South African native Angelo Lambrou, a talented bridal designer struggling to branch out with ready-to-wear. The new season is slightly altered as Zee enlists the help of some of his industry friends to help with the “constructive critism” including Rachel Roy, Olivia Palermo, Adam Lambert, and in the episode I previewed, Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley Mischka were called in for their insight. Overall, if you liked the first season, you’ll like season two (and vice versa); I found the show entertaining even if at times it felt a bit contrived — pretty much any time Zee got “upset” or “frustrated” it seemed forced for the camera, but that might also be because he comes off so friendly and likable that it’s hard to imagine him being genuinely upset!
Aside from Miller and Lambrou, the brands featured this season are Qristyl Frazier Designs, Kathy Wilson Atelier, Aysha Saeed, and Czar.
