Project Runway All Stars uses a new host, new mentor and new judges. And while living up to the standards set by Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia seems impossible, who would have thought it’d be quite this bad?

I’ve always thought Isaac Mizrahi was talented and fun, even if I didn’t love his wild aesthetic too much. He’s a tough judge, but I respect that. (We need that.) I don’t want anyone to go easy on our contestants. But I’m still not sure how I feel about him. We had scheduled a conference call with him which he stood several writers up for, apparently having forgotten. And he never offered himself up with a re-scheduled date. (But he’s busy, I can’t hold that against him too much.) The thing that really gets me is what other people’s first-hand accounts of him are. People refer to him as a prima donna, as a snob, as all sorts of things that sound unappealing.

The other new judge is Georgina Chapman. A young, pretty woman who has enviable style and beauty. But, while I’ve always loved Marchesa their recent stuff is mostly …listen, it’s garbage. It’s always unusual when someone young marries someone much older than them that just happens to be incredibly rich and powerful. (Especially if they’re not exceedingly easy on the eyes.) Chapman is married to none other than Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company which produces Project Runway. She seems qualified for her judging position, but it’s her unusual marriage that keeps giving me pause and question, quite frankly, her integrity.

The host this time around is Angela Lindvall. It doesn’t help that as host she has to refer to the show instead of taking ownership of it (i.e. “As it’s been said on Project Runway…”) I know plenty of models, but Lindvall is not one I’ve ever been very familiar with at any point. She seems sweet, but she also reads as dull on the screen. She needs fire! (Why did no one tap Josie Maran!?)

The major bummer is Joanna Coles, editor of Marie Claire. She acts as mentor, while not understanding what a mentor ought to do. Not only can she not replace Tim Gunn, she doesn’t bring anything of her own to the table. What she does offer is pot stirring, and a cold and oppressive demeanor… she’s anything but supportive to the designers. While Gunn nurtures and provides valuable insights, Coles is a sour, unwelcome sight in the design room. This proves that just because you’re good as an editor it doesn’t mean you’ll be a good mentor to designers.

But those are just my thoughts. (And, let’s face it – echos plenty of what other PR All Stars recaps have been saying.)  What do YOU think of the All Stars mentor, host, and judges?

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