Isaac Mizrahi Recaps Fashion Show: 'There Was a Drama Over Who to Eliminate'

Isaac Mizrahi, who judges and mentors contestants on The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection, always has more to say about each week's results than what we see on TV. (Damn editors.) Since we didn't catch up with Mizrahi last week, we're reviewing two weeks of Fashion Show couture with him today -- including a dated red-leather tribute to Mary J. Blige, a baggy denim ode to grunge, and one of the weirdest necklines you've ever seen.

First, let's discuss last week. Were you at all worried the "femme fatale" theme would dredge up a vampy, dated-looking runway show?

No, I was really excited about it because, first of all, it's a really classic thought and theme. It gets more and more relevant, this idea of a dangerous woman. I don't know why I think that, but in the face of all this darkness out there, the more vampires we see, the more espionage, spies -- I mean, Angelina Jolie does things where she can kill people with crazy secret weapons. I think it's more relevant -- this idea of a femme fatale. I have to say, I so agree with this one thing Dita Von Teese said -- and she herself is a femme fatale -- she said something I've always thought. Matter of fact, I used to talk a lot about it when I first started -- the fatale way that clothes get taken off. Unless clothes look fabulous, gorgeous, genius coming off, then there's no fatale to it. She said, "There's no way I could take that dress off in a sexy way." That is something you want to think about as a designer.

Tamara was eliminated. How did you feel about her red leather ensemble and her choice of Mary J. Blige as a reference point? She's not even a femme fatale in a broad sense.

I don't think of Mary J. as a femme fatale. She has those elements about her, but I think it was an association that she made to Mary J. more than what she really is. She just thought she was a femme fatale, and I don't know why she made that association. Maybe it's her connection with the lyrics she sings on the soulful, dark side. But I think of her as the opposite of a femme fatale. She's such a bright, happy creature. She's not really a dark, sexy, sad killer, you know?

I loved the theme of this week's episode -- the time capsule idea. The teams referenced the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and even 2001. Do you have a particular fondness for any of these eras?

I love the '50s and the '60s. Those were my favorite ones. I think someone got 1961, which was my favorite one. I was born in 1961, so I think of it as a really, really good period in fashion. Things were space-age and experimental. Rolando [who was assigned 1969 for his garment] got eliminated, but what he showed looked more like 1961 than 1969. 1969 was chosen because it was a revolutionary moment and because hippies were happening, this insane kind of casual thing was happening, and people were burning their bras. He sort of gave us this -- I don't know what -- this dressy, almost Jackie Kennedy look. That was one reason he was eliminated. Another reason was I don't think he was up for going forward. He just didn't have the passion the others had.

House of Emerald Syx finally beat House of Nami. Was their victory resounding? Or did they barely pull it off?

A resounding success? I don't think so. I think it was a mastery of some sort. They didn't blow our socks off, but their win was great because it would've been their fourth lose in a row.

I think Emerald Syx was the rightful winner because each of those looks at least corresponded with their assigned years. Can't say the same for Nami.

Totally! Totally. In the House of Nami, the only one who came across in a really wonderful way was Eduardo, and again it was just a cocktail dress. But he did do the disco thing and embrace the disco thing.

I had a soft spot for Dominique's look -- those 1994 baggy jeans? It was out of a Herb Ritts photo shoot or something.

Yes, totally! And it was a grunge moment. She was one of the better looks on that team, and we didn't really linger that much on that critique, but we qualify our praise of her garment a little more than what was shown. We said, "This is not really so great, and it doesn't really work because it's not the most flattering, and the lengths don't really work, but we admire you for going to that grunge place." That was sort of why we liked Dominique. Like you said, there's a soft spot -- because we lived through it. And she did take it to a new place, bringing the chiffon plaid in. It was really a smart thing.

David and Rolando finished in the "bottom two." Hard decision, if you ask me.

I think there was a drama over who to eliminate -- we were torn. There was a moment we all thought David was going to go, because I thought that jumpsuit was rigid and the antithesis of 1981.

I loved what guest judge Anja Rubik had to say, particularly about David's zany "decolletage."

I was so impressed with Anja. She said all the smartest things, really. Loved hearing what she had to say.

What was David saying about how he "moved the shoulder pads down to the collar"? I mean, what?

I don't know, honey. That was a crazy evasion of some sort. That was a delusion. He was pretending to be creative there or something, I don't know. But in the end I think we did the right thing in eliminating Rolando. It was time for him to move on.