Guilty Pleasure: Fashion Star!

This is REAL, people!

There's a lot to like about my husband, not the least of is his proclivity to enjoy the same TV shows I do. When Project Runway is in season, I save each episode to watch on his one night off each week, because I don't want to miss his commentary, which is an entertaining to me as Michael Kors' similes. If he watched the new episode of Mad Men without me, I would divorce him and expect no less from him if I stray.

And the latest show we're learning to love together is Fashion Star. If you haven't seen it, allow me to describe it for you in the words of my husband, Ryan: "It's like Project Runway, without the talent," and "It's everything I imagine L.A. to be, TIMES 10!" and: "Nina Garcia would be vomiting in her mouth if she could see this!"

I'd say it's actually like Project Runway meets The Price is Right. There's a live studio audience (though they never really show it in its entirely, which makes me think it's actually 40 production assistants and a clap track). And to disguise the fact that B-list models are strutting down the runway in Sears-worthy shirt dresses, there's plenty of smoke-and-mirrors. And lasers. Bubbles... faux palm trees. Top 40 tunes. And bikini-clad dancing girls! (See the photo below; that's a runway show!).  Also: completely non-sequitor performances by LMFAO? It's just insane.

Contestants are grouped in 3's for their runway shows, which are followed by a critique from the mentors (Jessica Simpson, Nicole Ritchie and John Varvatos, who are all actually sweetly supportive and quite likeable) and — then! —the lasers flash, and intense reality show music crescendoes as they turn to the "buyers":

This part is interesting because these three people above represent Macy's, H&M, and Sak's, respectively. Following each runway show, they have the chance to bid on each contestant's piece. The highest bidder "buys" it for their store, where it's available immediately after the show ends. (The winner of Fashion Star will have their collection sold in all three stores.) That dude on the right? He does not suffer fools gladly.

At the end, the bottom three designers face elimination, ultimately at the hands of the buyers, and are told "You are NOT our Fashion Star (TM)!" Hysterical. What's not to love?

OK, two things drive me crazy about this show: 1) the format doesn't give equal weight to all contestants. Just when you think you have a handle on it, they slip in these strange re-caps that breeze through a runway show without showing you the details. C-mon! If you can't show me all of the runway shows, you're editing it wrong! 2) There's an utter lack of transparency. Where do they get their fabric? Who are those people flitting about in the background? Are they sample-makers? Paternmakers? If so, that's ok. After all, in real life designers don't sew their own samples like they do on Project Runway. But why don't they address that fact? It's kind of skirted around....they show them sweating it out over a drawing or a pile of fabric, and then cut to the runway.

Shorts. We don't really know who made them. But whoever did inspired a bidding war between Macy's and H&M, resulting in a $120,000 order from my least favourite contestant. Want your own pair? You can buy them at Macy's for $59. (But don't, ok? That Ross guy is irritating.)

And if you want to sew your own version of these designers' winning creations, McCall's is selling a line of Fashion Star patterns. So far there are just four, including this one:

McCall's version

I think this was the former schoolteacher Kara Laricks' dress, also available for sale at Sak's (Poor Kara; she always looks like she's one deep breath away from fainting):

Sak's version

 And here it is as it walked down the runway:

Fascinating. So far there aren't any patterns I'm clamoring to buy, but you never know. We're only three episodes in, so there's plenty of time for you to jump on the Fashion Star bandwagon. Who do you think will be the Next Fashion Icon (TM)?