Look sharp: Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2 with series judges Stefani Greenfield and Lisa Kline.

It takes two to tango — and to launch a fashion label, according to the new Bravo series Launch My Line. We’re taking a break from the holiday madness to watch this new show, which airs on Wednesdays and pairs creative types from non-fashion related fields with a style expert partner who guides them through weekly challenges hosted by twin designers Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2 and judged by Scoop co-founder Stefani Greenfield and eponymous boutique owner Lisa Kline.

“It’s about building a brand, so it’s bigger than just having the talent,” Greenfield says. “It’s about having a vision, being able to execute your vision and communicate who you are, who you want to satisfy, what you’re about. You need patience and confidence.”

Contestant Marilyn Crawford, CEO of a global marketing firm and a just-launched Las Vegas venue where events can be streamed live over the Web, wants to make versatile, interchangeable pieces for busy businesswomen in her plus-size Lilly Remarkable line, “to make a statement to the world that not everyone is a size 2, and that we’re fashionable too.” She doesn’t sew a stitch, however, which means relying heavily on her partner Coco Kliks, a designer and consultant with whom Crawford often disagrees. “Our tastes are totally opposite,” Crawford says.

Growing up in Lancaster, SC, Crawford was first exposed to fashion via her world-traveling sisters, who’d bring her clothes from New York and Paris. A fan of Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Rachel Roy, Valentino, Gucci and Fendi, she calls her style classic but eclectic. “I mix designer with H&M and Target,” she says. While Crawford’s look was the audience favorite in the premiere episode, there was personal drama on the way to the runway.

Crawford “got where she is by doing everything herself. She doesn’t feel comfortable or confident when she’s got to lean on somebody else. I’m the same way,” admits Kliks, who was surprised by her partner’s lack of basic construction skills. A fan of “sporty-casual-meets-designer-edgy” styles like the Norma Kamali-Everlast mash-up, Kliks loves the bright hue trend. “People are responding to it because it’s cheerful and hopeful and alive,” she says.

Do you agree? Tell us what trends you’re into this season!

Photo credit: Bravo

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