When NBC announced its entry into the fashion competition reality shows, I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, “not another competition,” but boy was I wrong. With Jessica Simpson, Nicole Ritchie, John Varvatos and Elle McPherson as the power houses in front of the camera, the Fashion Star debuted with millions of viewers tuning in to get their fill of fashion and drama.
What makes this reality show different from other fashion shows is that aside from the mentors, Ritchie, Simpson and Varvatos, there are three judges or buyers from Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and H&M bidding on looks that will be available for purchase online immediately after the show, and next day in stores. The designers with bids will end up making money from the sales of their merchandise.
The show is innovative because instead of awarding one prize to an overall winner like on Project Runway, Fashion Star gives each contestant the chance to make some money off his or her creation and gain some traction among consumers of three of the biggest fashion stores in the country. Contestants who don’t receive bids are then put on the chopping block wit one being sent home by the judges.
For tonight’s show, H&M hit the jackpot by buying Sarah Parrott’s shift dress with a cutout back that looked very similar to the pink dress worn by Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City movie. Her dress, which retailed for $19.99 on H&M.com sold out immediately in both black and baby blue colors. Fans have a second chance and snagging it in the stores today.
Menswear designer Nzimiro Oputa also got picked up by H&M with his sharply tailored blazer, which caught the eye of Nicole Christie, the buyer for H&M, as well as a nod from the Saks Fifth Avenue buyer, Terron E. Schaefer, who I think is definitely the Simon Cowell of the group.
Saks Fifth Avenue picked up a black embellished skirt by Orly, who also received a bid from Macy’s buyer Caprice Willard. Orly’s skirt was a Zipper Mini Skirt that converted into a plain black skirt. It was definitely innovative and something Saks Fifth Avenue would pick up. The skirt can be yours for $350.
Macy’s bought items from three different designers, Lizzie Parker, Nikki Poulos and Edmond Newton. Lizzie’s Asymmetrical Jersey Tunic ($79), which can also be worn as a dress definitely has mass appeal and will flatter different figures. The tunic is available in three colors online. The judges also loved that she was wearing her own designs.
Nikki Poulos’ Kimono Sleeve Maxi dress might not have been innovative but it definitely had mass appeal because Macy’s bought two versions of it. Retailing for $89 each, the printed maxi will appeal to the Miami set, while the white version will most likely be a hit among the Hamptons set. With beach and pool season quickly approaching, this maxi dress was a definite good buy for Macy’s.
Edmond Newton’s Sleeveless Halter dresses, retailing for $110 each, will be a hit among prom goers and the horse racing enthusiasts. I wasn’t a fan of his designs but they do have that mass appeal I’ve been mentioning throughout this post.
