Fashion Star 2012 Has a Winner Both Contender and in TV Fashion Show Format

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So NBC's new entry into the world of fashion has ended and Kara, as I predicted, is the winner.

In an unusual twist, and an amazing one, viewers can purchase these fashions online, something you'd never see on Project Runway.

As I've also said many times on this Blog, I really enjoyed this rendition of a fashion show though I'm very aware of the commercial overload on the show.

First of all, all of the mentors of the contenders have fashion lines of their own. At various points they got some valuable free commercial time as their fashion offerings were paraded down the runway.

John Varvatos, Jessica Simpson and Nicole Ritchie were the three mentors on the show. Their presence and duties on the show were a bit muddled from this viewers perspective. They did, mostly, eh, MENTOR the contenders and for their labors they got their own fashion show for us viewers, somewhat fooled one might argue.

It was mostly the buyers who had the power of judging on this series. Three stores, Saks, Macy's and H andM had buyers who either purchased the offerings by the contenders or rejected them flatly. The contenders who made no sales during an episode were up for elimination. At that point, the mentors would save one of the contenders in danger of elimination.

It was the buyers who chose the contender to be sent home, make no mistake about this, and it was the buyers who chose the winner.

That winner, Kara, was the best designer of them all and she deserved to win. Kara is a lesbian, which she freely admits, not that anyone much cares, and has possibly the most unique hairstyle on the planet.

The fashion design contender chosen by the buyers is expected to create a fashion line for each of the three stores.

Kara's fashion line can be seen at the NBC site for this show and interested fashion mavens can buy some if so desired.

Let me end this little story with mine own fashion design story that mentally makes me smile. And if I can't write about it on my own Blog, then where?

For my church has a fashion show every year. The lady in charge of the fashion show asked me to be a model and go on….of all the things I'd ever thought I'd be doing in my life, being a fashion model would be way at the bottom of my list.

First, let's get this out of the way, I wear a size 18. Understand that I freely admit to be a fashion aficionado and even at my heftier size I do try and look orderly and matched.

I don't know what I was thinking but when asked I accepted, pointing out that I was no Twiggy. "Oh they use plus size fashion models all the time," the fundraiser lady stated.

Today I went for my fitting and it was nothing like Fashion Star or Project Runway. "You need to pick a casual outfit and a dressy outfit using the clothes available on this side of the store."

The store sponsoring this fashion show is Coldwater Creek, by the way, of mail order catalogue fame.

I was stopped short. I am to pick out my own outfits! That's not how it's done on Project Runway!

Still I was up to the task.



I chose a pair of beige pants and paired it with a turquoise top. I tried them on, they fit fine, and upon showing my choices to lady in charge, she picked out a big turquoise bag and picked some jewelry for me. I asked for a jacket, sweater of some sort as I always do. One was obtained and I must say I looked cool.

"How do you feel about cropped pants?" the lady asked. Well I love cropped pants and so stated. A pair of white pants with a white top was obtained. A bolero type vest, purple, was paired with the outfit. The lady got me a turquoise necklace...well hey, it was a jolt against the purple and white but I liked it. Somebody fished around and got me a turquoise bracelet and I looked very fashionable, in fact.

The fashion show is in two weeks and I've never walked a runway. I must match the outfits myself with earrings and shoes but I've got a plan.

Wish me luck.

As for NBC's Fashion Star series, I like it and look forward to its return.

Below all posts on this Blog re Fashion Star 2012:
-NBC's Fashion Star-Finally the Big Networks Discover Fashion and Take on Lifetime


NBC's Fashion Star Surpasses Project Runway a Thousand Fold

Fashion Star Continues On To The Top Five-Some Predictions

Fashion Star 2012-Buyer's Choice as Field Culled Down to Top Three



Fashion Star 2012-Buyer's Choice as Field Culled Down to Top Three

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Fashion Star 2012-Buyer's Choice as Field Culled Down to Top Three

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May 15th, 2012, will mark the last episode of NBC's Fashion Star the first fashion show offering on the ABCNBCCBS group since Lifetime's Project Runway.

I've said it on every post I made on this show and let me say it again, this NBC offering is way better than the Runway series though there's room for both.

Fashion Star is set up and presented a bit different than Project Runway. I like Fashion Star's order of events way better than Runway.

First, Fashion Star gets right into the runway part of the show fairly early on. The runway is the highlight of any fashion show, it's why we suffered through the drama queens, the resulting dramatics and boring trips to the fabric store.

Imagine that, a fashion show that has something parading down a runway every ten minutes or so as opposed to, say, just the last fifteen minutes of the show.

The Fashion Show does have a kind of weird setup what with three "mentors" that guide the contenders with their decisions and three buyers who make bids on the fashion offerings of the contenders. Odder, certain of the big upon offerings are up for sale the very next day after the showing, well hell's bells, that's kinda cool.




There is a sort of theme for each episode but it's brief and not quite as overwhelming as the themes on Project Runway.

The most recent episode aired on 5/8/12 had the buyers giving the contenders challenges and assignments and the buyers are pretty important. Contenders who don't receive any offers from the buyers are up for elimination. The mentors can save one of the contenders from elimination after all those without offers are known. After that the buyers choose out of the contenders with no offers who will be sent home.

It's fast paced, dynamic, hip. The models prance down the runway, generally three models for each contender. There's always happening music in the background and the presentation is quick but long enough.

A viewer will not find "fashion forward" or any "avant garde" designs on the Fashion Star runway. The frocks and menswear presented by Fashion Star contenders have to be "hanger ready". For their appearance on the hanger is as important as the clothing image on the model. It's an intriguing but most common sense retail system.

This past episode a field of six contenders was culled down to three. Two of them I'd been predicting all along; one is a complete surprise.

The top three contenders include Kara, Ronnie and Nzimaro. Kara definitely was a sure top three out of the pack. Ronnie remained a bit in the background until he kept putting out fashionable clothing that eclipsed both Orly and Nikki, who both were neck in neck with Ronnie.

Nzmarao, seriously folks, I think they're being nice to him because he's from the Sudan or something. For sure his menswear is masculine, sturdy and assertive. But the designs are quite ordinary and nothing new under the sun.

Still and so, my prediction is that Kara will wiin, Ronnie second and Nzmarao third.

Fashion Show airs its finale tonight, Tues 5/15/12, on NBC at 10pm.  Look for Kara to win and check out this chick's hairstyle.  Cooler than all get out.

Below links to posts on this Blog about Fashion Show 2012

-NBC's Fashion Star-Finally the Big Networks Discover Fashion and Take on Lifetime

NBC's Fashion Star Surpasses Project Runway a Thousand Fold

Fashion Star Continues On To The Top Five-Some Predictions


Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

Fashion Star Continues On To The Top Five-Some Predictions

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I continue to assert that I've quite enjoyed NBC's new fashion show offering, Fashion Star  . It does not have the angst and drama emitted from the drama queens of Lifetime's Project Runway. NBC's offering is about fashion mostly, with some pathos but not so much as to glaze eyeballs as does Project Runway.

The reality show features three mentors who guide the would-be fashion stars on their quest. There are also three representatives from three department stores: Saks, Macy's and H and M, who bid on the fashion then being offered. The viewing audience, or so goes the hype, can purchase the bid upon fashion offering the very next day after it is introduced!

Not that I'd ever do such a thing, can't imagine doing such a thing, I can see a happening young woman phoning up to order a frock designed by Nikki that tis same young woman can be cooler than cool on her next date.

The contenders are eliminated per Project Runway. All of the designers on one episode who did not get a bid from one of the buyers is eligible to be eliminated. The buyers chose who is to be eliminated while the mentors are allowed to save one from those who didn't receive bids.


Design by Ronnie

As of this writing, Kara, Ross, Nzmiro, Nikki, Luciano, Orly and Ronnie are left to continue seeking fashion stardom.

Each of these remaining seven bring a certain style and flair to their designs. Right now I would point out that the fashions featured on this show are not the stuff of foreign runways and would never be considered "avant garde" or even "fashion forward". The idea is to sell to mostly average Americans who enjoy a new look once in a while but aren't necessarily into way-out fashion that shocks the eyeballs.



The most recent episode had the designers creating fashion on command from their assigned mentors. The mentors, as was the plan, were to push the designers away from their own tried and true to new heights of their talent.

Nzmiro, thus, usually designs menswear but on the mentor-challenge episode he had to create a business suit.



By Kara

Kara is the most interesting of the remaining designers. Kara is a self-admitted lesbian who's designs reflect a sort of unisex, cross-gender boundaries type of look. Kara has a love of tuxedos and has presented tuxedo type pants and tuxedo tops. She does have a nice hand at it and has gotten plenty of offers over the weeks.



A Luciano Design

Luciana's claim to fame is being the first contender to get an offer and sell to all three of the representative buyers. Her designs are young, fresh and pretty.

Nikki likes fashion on the long side, her offerings being long dresses, bathing suit cover-ups or retro glam.

Nzimiro designs men's wear and his designs are most ordinary. He has a lot of episodes where he gets no offers and yet he's still in there, I don't know why.



An Orly Design

Orly has a bit of an exception with designing dual purpose fashion. She might have long dresses that, by a quick zip, become short skirts, or a maxi dress that converts to a mini. Orly has received the highest offer of all the contenders when she hits a home rum and send out a winner to the runway.

Ronnie is a fairly good designer who maybe gets an offer half of the time. He was saved once b y the mentors but he's had a couple of weeks with no offers and was in danger of elimination.

Ross Bennett is about on a par with Ronnie in terms of cool fashion and offers. He's had a few weeks with no offers and was saved once by the judges.

I see this series as a show down between Kara and Luciana with Orly possibly coming up the home stretch.

Below, other posts on this Blog about NBC's Fashion Star:

NBC's Fashion Star Surpasses Project Runway a Thousand Fold

-NBC's Fashion Star-Finally the Big Networks Discover Fashion and Take on Lifetime

Airs on Tuesdays, NBC, 10:00 pm.

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

NBC's Fashion Star Surpasses Project Runway a Thousand Fold

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I have for the past few seasons quite enjoyed Lifetime's Project Runway but I admit with no shyness that NBC's entry into the field of fashion programming, Fashion Star positively knocks my socks off.

We begin with the fact that we don't have to put up with endless hissy fits by fashion design queens, let me call like I see it. I understand that most male fashion designers are likely our homosexual brethren and I don't have a single problem with this. I also have watched enough of these types of shows to know that these creative sorts are bitchy and pissy, I get that.

NBC's Fashion Star has a bit of that, most notably with contender Oscar. These reality type shows need to show a bit of pathos with the competition but by me Project Runway tended to go overboard. Fashion Star gets right to it, there is no 45 minute wait through hissy fits and nasty vignettes to get to the climax of the show, the runway show itself.

The show does begin with a theme but viewers don't have to suffer through boring trips to the fabric store or endless nasty snipes as the designers ponder their designs. There's some of that but on Fashion Star, the runway show begins right at the beginning, complete with happening music, and it's a much better scenario.

There are three celebrity mentors who don't do much of anything but add some pizazz to the show. Oh they pretend to advise the designers and they are charged with saving one of the bottom three designers each week.

After the mentors choose which of the bottom three they will save (the bottom designers are those who did not receive any bids from three buyers, consisting of Macy's, Saks, and H&;M), the buyers choose who will be sent home.

Here and below-Luciano's
 high and low end look

In the past couple of episodes the designers have had to team up to design a living window and design up a high end and a low end look that had some kind of connection.

As for the designers, they're an interesting lot. Kara has possibly the most unique hairstyle on the planet. She is an admitted lesbian and her designs have a mannish air about them. She seems a capable designer but has her ups and downs. Kara's got offers from the buyers most weeks. For the window challenge she designed some kind of tent dress thing that looked as if it had a long necktie hanging down, really ugly I thought, and she not, to no surprise, get any offers.

Barbara is a middle aged type and her designs are most ordinary, but they have an allure. For the window challenge she came up with a sort of empire waist dress that I've seen on a million women through the years. Barbara's only had one offer from the three buyers since the beginning and she's just hanging in there.

Luciano is a more modern youngish female designer and she's gotten offers through the weeks. She will hang in there for a while but I don't see her winning this thing.

Nikki likes longer dresses, beach coverups, that sort of thing. She gets offers but while she gets offers, she's not the winner as I see it.

Nzimro designs menswear and this is another thing I enjoy about this fashion series. There are a couple of designers presenting menswear and some of the offerings are really nice. Hey, men have to wear clothes too. Nzimro, however, is not a great designer and some of his offerings are nice but boring.

Orly is the drama queen of the bunch. Every week she has some kind of anxiety attack that has her changing her entire plan several times before her final runway presentation. As these drama things tend to go, she sometimes ends up with a real winner as a result of her last desperate efforts and sometimes lays a big egg. I don't see Orly winning this thing.

Ronnie designs for women, along with Ross, two male designers still left as of this writing. Both of these designers have been saved at least once and have gotten few offers. I don't see them hanging around too long.

Sarah isn't an outstanding designer but her fashions are suitable for the average woman and she's gotten offers almost every week. Still her designs do not have any kind of "edge". She could be a second or third place finisher on this series but I don't see her taking the top prize.

Kara's tuxedo jkt.

Nikki's high end look

I think either Nikki or Kara will win this thing. Nikki's has a consistent class to her designs. Kara comes up with some real duds from time to time but she has an original flair to her looks which could bring her in a solid second, possibly a first.


-NBC's Fashion Star-Finally the Big Networks Discover Fashion and Take on Lifetime

Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.

NBC's Fashion Star-Finally the Big Networks Discover Fashion and Take on Lifetime

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I loved it!


Hands down NBC's Fashion Star  passes Project Runway without stopping to rest.

The best innovation of all….MUSIC ON THE RUNWAY! Darn right. When the models walk down the Project Runway planks the atmosphere is downright lugubrious. The NBC runway presentation is a happening, happy thing. And you don't have to watch the designers bitch for 45 minutes before finally getting to see some designs. Oh there's some angst in Fashion Star but it's limited, just enough to keep viewer interest, not so much as to drive the hapless viewer insane already.

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How it works, there are contenders. We must assume the contenders were or are fashion designers somewhere and applied for a chance to show their styles.

Three buyers from H&M(never heard of this store), Walmart and Macy's review the contender's presentation and makes a bid on same.  Model Elle MacPherson is the show's hostess.  Three Mentors, John Varvatos, Jessica Simpson, and Nicole Richie, serve to advise the contenders.  Jennie Mai, host of How Do I Look? serves as some sort of digital leader.

I've only watched, as of this writing, the very first show. There was not, at least for this show, any specific type of challenge. The fashion designers presented their designs. There was no indication of the limit of designs they could submit but we assume they have one. Some showed two fashion designs, some showed three. One goofball showed only neck ties!

I do have a list of the contender names but for now, Oscar,  Kara, and Nicholas...came in bottom three.

Nicholas was sent home. Nicholas was a snarky little snit, remarking how he didn't know how a buyer had any right to comment on menswear. What a hoot. Every day, all across the fruited plains, our gay brothers design, craft, and outfit women and they think they have what it takes to figure out what makes a female looks good. But a female shouldn't be commenting on menswear?

Heh. Not saying that Nicholas' absurd assertion had anything to do with his elimination but just say the vote was on the line, close, in other words?

The big brag about Fashion Star was that us viewers will be able to order the chosen designers' fashions the NEXT DAY!

Heh.

I can't imagine doing such a thing.

I was also impressed by many of the designs but know right up front that these fashions are the sort that women like ME might buy. Many Project Runway designs are for the runway only or would be worn by a certain kind of woman.

One contender submitted a couple of long caftan things that...meh. She got a contract though, God Bless.

I was quite pleased at a)there was a presentation of cool menswear at all and b)they were quite classy, snazzy….fit for a man of the 2000's.


Watch contender Oscar. He's such a drama queen you'll want to slap him silly.


This looks like it'll be a great show.

The bigger question, are the prime time big networks too big to succeed with a niche market show?

I'm just sayin'.

Fashion Star airs on Tuesday nights, NBC, 9:30


Click here to go to this Blog's main menu and see what other TV series we're covering.



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