Making the Cut Season 2 Review (TV Series, 2021)
Last year, Making the Cut premiered on Amazon Prime. This was the big reunion of Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn on a brand new competitive fashion reality show. The breakout stars of Project Runway, the competitive reality show that set the template for non-singing talent shows, teamed up with Amazon to offer a globe-trotting fashion contest with a grand prize of one million dollars and an exclusive brand deal with Amazon to produce and sell their finale collection.
It got better from there, too. The winner of each week’s episode would also have their design sold on Amazon, and the prizes often included a chance to collaborate on product launches with major brands. The show used Amazon’s deep pockets to establish clout and even pull in some pretty big regional names in fashion from around the world to compete.
Season two is a very different show. This season was cast and filmed after the Covid-19 lockdown period. Instead of travelling around the world, Making the Cut rented out a massive ranch in California and turned it into a designer’s paradise.
The cutting room is larger than the entire set of the first season of Project Runway. There’s also a separate sewing room and even permanent access to fabric printing and design technology so contestants can always get just what they need in a variety of textiles. An entire separate building houses more fabric than anyone could ever use, Next in Fashion-style, that is available for the designers to take however much they need at any point during the competition. Budget didn’t really play into the challenge last year, but this year, the contestants can cover every design in ostrich feathers and leather if they choose too; a few contestants do.
The cast is smaller this time around, but the judging is more ruthless. If the judges don’t like what you’re doing, you’re going home. The contest still requires a high fashion and an accessible—ready to manufacture—design each week. The most common reason for elimination this season is the high fashion look being something you probably have in your closet already. Last year, Amazon was very generous in producing extra designs; this year, they only want one accessible design a week to go up in the store.
That does not mean that the cast is any less talented or worthy of this opportunity. Based on their portfolios and the work you can find in their existing online shops, any of these contestants could succeed in Making the Cut. When everyone is talented, these competitions come down to who is willing to take the project brief and their critiques to hit what the judges want. The contestants who go far aren’t necessarily evolving, but listening to the judges. You want bolder patterns? On it. Better tailoring on this particular model? Bet. Something you haven’t seen before? You asked for it.
Making the Cut goes even further with their beautiful production design on the runway. Having a larger set location is a blessing to this kind of work. Every runway is filmed outside, taking advantage of the landscaping and natural beauty of the location. The judges are almost always the entire audience, so the design did not have to account for rows and rows of chairs this time. This also lets the editing focus on the designs from all angles and allows really clear mixing of the judges’ commentary during the runways.
Inevitably, when productions start to open up again, this show will have a larger audience like traditional fashion shows in person. I’m not convinced they’ll travel all around the world like season one, but I could see a mid-season shift to a new city leading to the finale, America’s Next Top Model style. Season two proves the core format of the contest works, and the amount of products that sold out in most sizes within hours of the episodes airing shows the audience is there for the show to keep succeeding in the future.
Making the Cut Season 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime.
