Monday, February 8, 2010

Kell is Paved with Good Intentions.

Yow! That was certainly a reality show. Fashion PR in all its savage glory. What is the most amazing insight into this rough and tumble world is that this service costs a small fortune, no, a large one. A firm run by a force of nature (Kelly Cutrone) supported by a group of underlings much like the kids you see walking from kindergarten to recess all holding a rope with handles. The only thing missing is someone at the front of the line or an adult bringing up the back. Those kiddies need more than someone a few blocks ahead screaming, "F****** MOVE YOUR A****."

We get a mouthful and ear full of the gospel according to Kell . It's a tough, tense and terse biz with no room for error. Hundreds of millions of dollars are riding on a gift bag properly filled; tissue artfully stuffed and printed labels, not hand scrawled, misspelled names and addresses to the high and lowly by way of a dull Sharpie.The truth of an Intern is that they are free, unschooled labor with or without a real calling. You can get lucky, but many times you get what you pay for. The clueless Interns supply even less entertainment than Kelly Cutrone, Mommie to the litter, along with her team of disgruntled assistants. We follow her from debacle to debacle wondering how she keeps her business afloat. The ship starts off the show taking on a lot of water. The first client we meet is Ralph Rucci......

When the scene started, I naively assumed that this show would be a class act in the elevated sense of the word. I was wrong. Kell and her Belles immediately hit choppy seas and waves begin crashing onto their dinghy, The People's Revolution. The day before ChadoRalphRucci is to show, there is a computer glitch wiping out a third of the seating arrangements. Instead of Momma Kell taking charge, figuring out a solution, and taking control of the listing raft, she leaves it to the staff and their herd of Interns. Chado is one of the most important clients and Collections that any PR company could hope to represent. Nothing that involves Ralph Rucci should be left to chance, let alone left to a crew of green girl scouts. Every aspect of Rucci and his business is exacting and correct. Knowing that, one needs to work and handle his account in precisely the same way. Kelly took a short cut which ended up cutting her head off.

In short: They F***** up the seating, the front of the house was a mosh pit, the assistants were hopeless, Kelly blamed everyone but herself, Ralph kept his cool through the experience, his Collection that was shown in part was UNF****** Believably beautiful, a day passed, she thought the positive press response excused her pathetic performance, he disagreed and fired her, she threw a fit and demanded her paycheck blaming his dissatisfaction with her on not getting the cover of WWD, she screamed at everyone around her taking little responsibility for NOT doing more to correct the glitch, and then lost her star client. End of Saga I.

The last scene was a presentation for a Jeans co. in a space with a Tree of Life and a Swarovski crystal room. Kelly is spiritual, when she's not ripping her staff multiple a**, well use your imaginations... So, the Swarovski dripping ceiling has a Zen quality that makes her mellow and fuzzy. A nice room to die in, or at least a good room for a model to pass out in. When that happens and the 911 call is made, Kell is put off by the distraction that the life saving team creates. She wants the Emergency ambulance lights turned off so as not to distract the guests from the possibility that anything unfashionable might be taking place. She all but throws a glass of water on the passed out model to get him back on the job. Most of all, she's miffed that the Swarovski ceiling of dangling lines have been tangled by the model's untimely tumble. She grumbles as she has to untangle them and return the Zen to her den. We're constantly reminded how precious her time is, and this is wasting it,again.....

So that was basically episode one. I'll probably watch more. I have to say it is the most realistic Reality Shows on Fashion, so far.....At least, it's a real company in true life situations in the fashion business. She's certainly frighteningly real. I know a few PR people who are so opposite her and very successful at what they do. I found myself wondering why Kell had to be so incendiary. Leslie Stevens of La Force and Stevens works just as hard with great clients and you never see her go postal. Danielle Arcenaux of Kaplow is a rock in a roiling sea. You never see her loose it.

These Ladies always take the high road, but I fear Kell's GPS is set to the low one. The one the heads due South.

4 comments:

LaShaune said...

I couldn't bring myself to watch this show. Any good assistant knows how to keep her/his boss from sinking and making an ass out of themselves. We know we are the front line and how to keep things running smoothly, even with computer crashes, guests who crash parties, catering gone awry, etc. I am so thankful I don't/won't work for people to talk to their staff like dirt.

Although, I've considered sending my resume to Jeff Lewis.

Anonymous said...

"Reality" television is about the creation of drama, regardless of the situation.

Kell has a program because she brings the drama, not because of any competence at her supposed job.

Television producers want drama on camera-- that's the product.

Anonymous said...

Really tragic. This will be the end of her business. Kell should have known better since she is in PR. Wow.

Anonymous said...

Not only unprofessional, also incredibly ill-mannerd.