Apr 3, 2012

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)?

13 comments:

  1. I just wish they's explain what the "buys" mean. I wasn't paying attention when they glossed over that fact in the first episode and google doesn't know what the fuck I'm talking about. Also, i don;t trust Jessica Simpson as a mentor because she was the guest judge when Mondo was robbed. And they only made all-stars so that Mondo could finally win. Also, i'm pretty sure the host of all-stars (the model with the bitch face.... what;s her name?) must feel salty that georgina chapman is more beautiful than her. Also I'm blog commenting drunk.

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    1. I agree on all points. Who gets that money? How many pairs of shorts is Macy's ordering for $120,000? Does that designer see any of that cash? It's so confusing. But that's what makes it so funny to me. There's some person in the editing both who just goes, "Aw, fuck it. Nobody's going to notice this show makes no sense!" What we really need is more lasers!!

      Also, did you know Georgina Chapman is married to Harvey Weinstein? Ugh. Argh. Blargh.

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    2. "Aw, fuck it. Nobody's going to notice this show makes no sense! What we really need is more lasers!!"

      Funniest thing I've read today.

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  2. I agree with Cynthia (except the drunk part! and I probably wouldn't have said it that way, but it works). I'm not watching this show tho cause Project Runway has gotten boring enough as it is, and I read a review that Fashion Star is hard to follow what's going on. As for the patterns, some are interesting but they all seem really easy and basic. Designer patterns should have some special twist.

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    1. Yeah, the clothes are pretty boring so far. It's so ready-to-wear compared to Project Runway. But I guess that's what sells? It's fascinating.

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  3. It is also a guilty pleasure of mine. I just wish that it was less cheesy. I feel like the concept is awesome. I love that it is more ready to wear focused and that we can actually buy the clothes the next day. I saw some at H&M and it was really fun. But those lights, fog, dancers etc... give me a break.

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  4. i saw a ten minute in depth trailer for this on the plane last night, and when they got to the very last five seconds they said AND THERE ARE PERFORMANCE NUMBERS! with a jump cut to fireworks and dancers! SMASH CUT TO BLACK!

    i was all, huh?! was that an april fools joke three days late?

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    1. It's totally a joke. That's what makes it so great.

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  5. This is one of the things that make me glad not all US programs reach us here on the Emerald Ireland LOL. I loved reading your review and the trailer for the show was fun(ny) to watch! OMG why all this money is spent on this ???? B-listers, that is all I say! I might be too negative, just having one of those full moon days when looking at tutorials about attaching cotton skirts to a tee and calling it a dress just winds me up in a flash, this show came next LOL

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    1. P.S. I am also a singer turned fashion lover, just like Jessy ))))) It is called MIDDLE AGE CRISIS

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  6. I had no idea!!! OMG. This sounds like a train wreck.

    I swore off fashion reality shows after the last Project Runway. I'm still suuuper pissed about Anya winning. WTF?!?!?!? But this I'm going to check out.

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  7. your blog is so fun! I found it as I fought my own battle with the Burda cap sleeve dress....and yes! I stumbled onto fashion star last night as I turned on the TV for background noise. It seemed perfect companion for cutting out a new dress, but I'm afraid I'm hooked now. How do they make that stuff so fast?!?! Maybe I would too, if Nicole Richie was my "mentor". ha!

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  8. Just found your awesome blog today, but...

    [all 2 and 1/2 months late with my $.02] I love Fashion Star and hate(!) Project Runway!

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