We’ve discussed the best (or, what Lifetime has deemed to be the best, anyway); now let’s discuss the rest. 

EMILY PAYNE

Like much of what Emily presented throughout the season, her decoy collection was kind of interesting, a bit sloppy, and very dated. Her biggest flaw from my perspective was that she considered herself to be an extremely innovative, alternative designer, but she doesn’t seem to have updated her aesthetic since the 90s. Twenty years ago, I’m sure her style would have been forward-thinking and fascinating, but now… not so much. This first look encapsulates that problem: it’s awkward, but more in a dated way than an alternative way. Still, at least it had a modicum of interest, which is more than I can say for Kini’s finale collection.

I think most outfits max out at two cut-outs. Add a third, and it just looks like the entire outfit is falling apart at the seams.

The top is pretty, but I’m not sure this skirt was the best thing to pair it with. Also, is she wearing clear Doc Martens? I don’t know if I can support that.

You can see the back of the previous look in the background, which makes me angry, because I liked that top until I saw it from this angle. It had more than enough going on in the front – it didn’t need to be a corset in the back as well. Anyway, this is one of the weaker looks of the collection. An ill-fitting collared tee and some shorts that are basically underwear? I’m underwhelmed.

Yeah, she definitely didn’t need TWO babydoll dresses in this same fabric. And my breasts ache just looking at how smooshed the poor model’s bust is.

The skirt fabric is incredibly beautiful. Delicate, but with a touch of badassery. I wish the top were a bit more interesting, though.

This blouse is the first piece of Emily’s collection that really, truly excites me. I think it’s fan-fucking-tastic, and displays all of Emily’s strengths as a designer. Sadly, she didn’t keep up this level of creativity and expert execution throughout the collection, but SHIT, do I love this top.

I don’t think I could hate this dress more if I tried. That is some sad, ill-fitting, tacky crap.

I loathe the elastic-looking waistband, held together with what appears to be a string. I know the sloppiness is intentional, but it’s not working for me at all.

I don’t even know what I’m looking at. A shrug made out of a rug? Over a bathing suit cover-up? This was really not the best look to close out Emily’s collection.

KORINA EMMERICH

Say what you will about Korina’s atrocious personality, but her decoy collection was miles better than Kini and Char’s collections. Had she made it to the finale, I probably would have given her the win over Sean and Amanda, because she combined effortless cohesion with some really interesting, wearable, aesthetically-pleasing pieces. I don’t think either Sean or Amanda really managed all that. I’m not going to pretend this was the most original collection on earth – it’s got more than a touch of former PR contestant Mila’s 1960s mod aesthetic, and influences from lots of other designers – but I think it had a strong point of view. I’d wear this jacket in a heartbeat.

She made terrific use of leather and color in her collection. It kept each look connected to the one that came before it, without making me feel like I was watching ten of the same dress walk down the runway. And I think those clear booties with the black-and-white striped embellishments were strangely brilliant.

The vest is killer; the pants are adorable.

Ship this one off to Solange Knowles. She would work the SHIT out these oversized co-ords. It’s a refreshing, modern look.

I think I’d be thrilled to wear every single jacket in Korina’s entire collection.

I love the teal color, but I think this is one of Korina’s weaker looks. The top is a bit strange, proportionally-speaking, and the skirt is approaching Hefty-bag territory.

Love. Want this in my closet right fucking now.

Not my favorite, but I like that she took a risk with those strips of fabric.

Not quite interesting enough, but very wearable and chic.

I don’t love this as a closing look, mostly because I can’t really see enough of any of the pieces. The two-tone pants disappear within the lining of the coat. I can’t really tell what that coat is – the color is certainly delightful, but I really needed to see more of it. And the crop top underneath just feels like an afterthought. Overall, though, this was a collection that far outshone its fellow decoys, and probably could have snagged the win for the entire season.

SANDHYA GARG

For a second, I thought the word on this dress was “FEELINGS,” which made me laugh for about ten minutes until I realized it actually says “FEARLESS.” I like the ombre effect, but if you’re going to put giant letters on your dress, I should probably be able to read them.

A borderline throwaway look. I don’t hate the top, but Sandhya is supposed to be a fuck-load more creative than this. I’d rather see a collection of over-designed, absolutely crazy looks than a bunch of boring monochromatic pieces, particularly from her.

I don’t think the asymmetry alone is enough to make this skirt a success. The darker green fabric just looks puffy and uncomfortable, and I don’t like the way it looks on the model’s figure.

Congrats. You made a tee shirt and shorts. THIS IS NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. TRY HARDER. (Also, I reiterate my earlier complaint: don’t put words on shirts that I have to squint to read.)

I would have liked this a million times better if she had actually lined it instead of just throwing yellow panties on her model. That just seems lazy to me.

I’m sure she was going for interesting and intentionally askew, but it looks more awkward and accidental than anything else.

Pretty damn cool. Again, I can’t really tell if those letters are supposed to spell something, but I care less here than in the other looks, because this one is so much more interesting.

A basic LBD with dumbass shit on the shoulders.

This is starting to feel more like the best of Sandhya’s admittedly weird aesthetic. The way she pulled the fabric closer together for the sleeves really speaks to me, for some reason. I just love that detailing on the shoulders.

Hate the white underlay; love everything else about this. I can’t say her collection really lived up to the level of creativity I know Sandhya is capable of, but it was interesting all the same.

ALEXANDER KNOX

I’m not a fan of Alexander’s collection. Every outfit looked weirdly cheap, painfully derivative, or both. His fabric choices weren’t particularly interesting, and the only looks I liked were straight out of other, better designers’ collections.

A fantastic dress that he straight-up stole from about a billion other designers. Oh, and the hair and makeup are very clearly ripped off from some of McQueen’s recent runway shows.

Taking regular clothes and chopping them into awkwardly short lengths does not make them interesting, Alexander.

The sartorial equivalent of a basic bitch.

Snooze.

Hideously unflattering and ugly to boot.

Unimaginative, and not particularly well-made.

It’s not Alexander’s fault that Sean has forever turned me off to fringe, but I cannot look at any more of this shit for a solid six months after this. I have officially overdosed on fringe.

As far as I’m concerned, Alexander’s collection was one big “whatever.”

FÄDE ZU GRAU

Fäde’s collection was probably the most hit-or-miss of the decoy collections. The writing on his outfits only sometimes work, as did his combination of textiles. This first outfit (like much of his work) looks more like really cool pajamas than really cool runway fashion, but at least his work is preventing me from falling asleep at my desk. I can’t say the same for Alexander’s collection, that’s for damn sure.

Killer jacket, but the pants look REALLY dated. Does anyone even cuff their jeans anymore, unless they’re really short like me and haven’t gotten them hemmed yet?

A cute dress, but it doesn’t pack nearly enough of a punch to be on a New York Fashion Week runway.

Nope. I absolutely refuse to support overalls. And again, the “SO?” thing doesn’t really work for me, mostly because the sizing and centering is off. But not “off” enough to make it seem intentionally askew.

A waste of a look.

I want this dress in every color imaginable.

The only text-textile that worked for me. I like the printed pants too, but they might be too casual to be paired with an already casual top.

It’s a decent look, but I’m not sure it adds anything to the collection that wasn’t already there.

Extremely fabulous workout clothes.

A strange pick for the final look. I like the jacket well enough, but the short pants with knee-high boots just seem completely nonsensical to me.

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© Democracy Diva, 2014.
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