Delurkng to say ... I completely understand why Ashley won, and no, the fix was not in.
Edmond (for whom I was rooting) and Candace pretty much disqualified themselves. They did not show up with real collections that had the force of concept and execution. Candace's concept was that she went to a museum, but that really only showed in a few pieces. She eliminated two or three elements from her collection, but for the most part, her garments showed as she intended them to. For the most part, her collection was 6-8 throwaway pieces--simple sillouettes without much innovation--and a few pieces that were intended to be showstoppers, but that at every stage (at Tim Gunn's visit, in the mini-collection, and at Fashion Week) looked like costumes. Those few showstoppers had nothing to do with the rest of the clothes she showed. There have been designers who made impeccable clothes that reflected the designers unique personality (Irina, Michelle), who pursued the warrior woman, who pushed the black collection (Christian), or who combined western and eastern influences (Jeffrey)--she did not reach their level whatsoever.
Edmond's clothes had more consistency than Candace's, but there was still a lack of concept, perhaps even more. What was his collection about? He seemed to stumble over his own words. Half his looks, lke Candace's, were simple looks. The rest relied on the embellishments. As I saw them walk, I though, "Carol Hannal!" The same reliance on the ornamentation, but not executed as nearly as well as it had been done in Season 6.
With two designers phoning it in, there were only two collections--two not completely exciting collections, but nonetheless thoughtful and cohesive--to judge. To my eye, Kelly had a few thriling pieces, but it was very inconsisted. I didn't get the same visceral reaction from Ashley's clothes, but her collection was very consistent. Neither was pushing luxury. Kelly was pushing trashy chic, which I think is fair to say, can be difficult to sell with a large audience. Some of the things she did reminded me of Patricia, but none of it had the breathtaing effect of garments like the miccaceous dress. Having lived in the Pioneer Valley for ten years (my wife's baby shower was held at Pasquale's, where Kelly took TIm to dine), I would have felt some pride had she won.
Between Kelly and Ashley, I think there was little to make one collection (not individual pieces) stand out in comparison with the other. On the other hand, experience in the business, consistency, and being in on the Zeitgeist have always been legitimate tie-breakers on the show since season 2. Ashley had all those things, and she has the tools to hit the ground running. Even had she won, the road ahead for Kelly might seem unclear.
This finale was a perfect reflection of how terrible this season was. The fault rests almost entirely with the designers. With the exception of Kelly, I never felt that any designer was striving toward something or was transformed by the experience. When they were eliminated, they deserved it (including Swapnil, who was this seasons Ven).
