Let’s take a look at the pair’s current ventures and see how they compare.

Denim Lines
Zoe designs a bell bottom jean for 7 Jeans for All Mankind. Team with the pervasive brand is fairly prestigious and the the jeans are tried and true quality. The style is very true to Zoe’s style and it’s smart of her to start slow with just one style (anyone remember those dreadful clutches she tried to hawk a few years ago?). In a word: mainstream. Buy these jeans and check out Zoe’s handpicked favorites at Piperlime

According to MyTrueFit, Jacobson was on a shoot with the brand when she landed the deal with Kasil Denim. Rumors say this was the real reason she was let go from her whipping post. In her defense, she said repeatedly that product development was wear she wanted to go. Kasil is a pretty obscure brand for the average consumer, but it likely means that Taylor had a great deal more creative wiggle room. Who knows how much of the design she actually did, but the result has a lot more variety. Not sure, though, how well it represents Taylor’s aesthetic.

Celebrity Style Clients

Taylor is a smart cookie. Whether she saw her departure coming or not she’s been savvy in flipping her 15 minutes into some solid business ventures. Zoe may or may not care about Jacobson’s jeans line, but it’s real slap in the face if she was able to take celebrity clients with her. And she did just that. Word is, Taylor has a whole roster of celebs that followed her out of Zoe-land. One of them is Kate Beckinsale. See her in all her glory at this years Cannes Film Festival.

Zoe’s styling record speaks for itself. But not always in a good way. She does have her shining moments, though, when you just can’t deny that she’s excellent at what she does. Case in point: Kate Hudson at the Golden Globes.

photos: zimbio.com

This week Bravo’s SJP-produced show “Work of Art” asked contestants to shock the audience with their creations. Unfortunately, several of the artists mistook gross for shocking and we were forced to sit through bags of faux excrement and jars of not-faux fingernails. Ultimately, the judges chucked out two of the cast members, including the morbid performance artist Nao. On her way out she pointed out that her brand of art isn’t often welcome in fine art circles and she may have a point, but I think the judges did well to let her go on this round, as her piece was thoughtless and crude. Ironically, the real performance art may have been via Miles who took it upon himself to jack off on camera to put the proverbial icing and his sexy Disney piece.

But on to the really good stuff: China Chow’s wardrobe continues to be a draw from week to week. Her choices are dramatic enough to represent an artistic approach to fashion, while still being commerical enough for the likes of Vogue to pick it up. How very host-friendly! This episode she chose frocks from two of my favorite Fall 2009 collections. One was a skirt from what I think was the Erin Fetherston Fall 2009. The skirt was whimsical, but chic – much like the best of the presentation. Cult favorites below.

I admit I don’t know much about China Chow, but a quick scan of her wiki page doesn’t seem to let on about any of her qualifications for hosting an art show. Perhaps being able to fit a sample size was one of her audition requirements? That may sound cynical, but my glee at seeing this orange dress from Jill Sander Fall 2009 was as genuine as can be.

This collection was another of my faves last fall. It was at once classic and futuristic – all wrapped up in one spectacularly minimalist bow. My fantasy wardrobe! See some of my favorite looks from the presentation below.

On a whole there wasn’t much that was shocking about any of the entries from this episode. Of course, the artists were asked to bring the rawness on demand and in comparison to the incomparable Andres Serrano. The photographer’s solo exhibit “Shit” opens this fall in NYC…

I did like Peregrine’s cracked out fashion ads, but I’m biased, of course. The “Herpes for Chanel / Syphilis for Prada” title is at first just funny, then rather deep when you consider that glamorizing unhealthy body images is just as mind-boggling as making VD trendy. Thankfully the judges got it right on this go round, choosing Abdi’s “I.E.D.” sculpture, which came close to the shock factor with a refined and quiet tension that most other artists were not able to manage.

Click here see more and rate the work yourself.

photos: bravotv.com, style.com

Fashion PR Maven Kelly Cutrone was definitely my favorite part of MTV’s scripted realities. Her black-hair cynicism was always a delicious foil to the vapid blondeness of Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port (or their characters). Now Cutrone has her own show on the delicious rerun-prone network Bravo. The show is called “Kell on Earth” and if the preview is any indication of what’s in store it is officially my new Monday night tube treat. The show premieres tonight at 10pm East Coast, 9 Central time. More at BravoTV.com

In its continued pursuit to fill the gaping hole left by “Project Runway,” Bravo brings us “Launch My Line” – a reality dramedy hosted by DSquared2’s Caten twins. In the show quasi celebrities team with fashion experts to start their own fashion lines. The jury is still out as to whether the show’s fashion is up to par. But if it’s drama you want, drama you most certainly will get!

So far the cuckoo quotient is won by fashion writer Patrick McDonald & designer Roberto de Villacis. McDonald, who refers to himself as a fashion “dandy” is paired with the emotionally volatile and physically violent de Villacis. The pair would be painful to bear in real life, but they definitely make for good TV. Check out a sneak peek from tonight’s episode:

See more at Bravotv.com

This September Bravo will premiere yet another fashion-focused reality-competition show. This time around the flick is call “Launch My Line” and stars DSQUARED2 design twins Dean and Dan Caten. See the preview below.

The series features ten well known professionals who are highly regarded in their own field of expertise, but have always dreamed of having their own clothing line. These professionals will be paired with ten established fashion designers who will help them execute their dream clothing line. The winning professional will have their clothing line launched and their expert designer, who helped them along way, will receive $50,000.

Dean & Dan will be joined by store owner Lisa Klein and fashion director Stefani Greenfield on the judging panel for the show, whose premiere airs Sept. 16 at 10pm Eastern.

Meet the wanna-be designers:

Finally! A reality TV show that ends they we think it should: Anna won Bravo’s “The Fashion Show” – yay!!! I was skeptical about the audience voting format, but in this case I guess it worked in my favorite designer’s favor. She easily had the best style on the show and her sensibility translated into making a collection that real women actually want to wear.

The pink dress – above on the left – is selling at shopbravo.com for $140. The one on the right (the one I want) is going for $175. Both dresse won’t ship until this fall, however.

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It’s fashion “week” in Atlanta. Accordingly, I’ve got no time for couch potato activity, which means I will miss the finale show of Bravo’s inaugural season of “The Fashion Show.” I’ll miss the convo Twitter buddies!

Thank goodness for DVR Here are some preview clips of the shenanigans to be seen this evening.

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