Last year, while NBC and Lifetime were busy taking each other to court over Project Runway (the Weinstein Company took the show from Bravo to Disney/Hearst Corporation’s Lifetime network, NBC sued saying they had the first right of refusal to match any deal; the process is ongoing), Bravo did the most prudent thing they could think of: greenlight a knock-off fashion design reality TV show in the hopes of maintaining the audience that made Runway a hit.
Enter The Fashion Show. Though the network has been mum about when the show will debut (a Bravo spokeswoman said only that it will be later this year) and who will be featured in it, Bravo’s web site describes it as a show that will “follow professional designers as they strive to make their mark in the dog-eat-dog world of fashion and compete for a chance to have their designs sold for the mass retail market.” Which sounds a good deal like Project Runway. But there are some intriguing differences.
The Fashion Show doesn’t have any industry judges, viewers will be making the decisions as to which designers they like the best. Bravo has already started this more democratic practice by asking viewers to vote online for the show’s last cast member.
Voters must choose between Elise, an entrepreneur who started her own fashion label, “Elise Bergman,” and Andrew, the “Panty-Christ,” a self-described “gaylebrity” who has made a name for himself designing underwear and is known to throw racks of clothes across a room. Voting is on until February 13, and viewers are encouraged to vote as often as they want so get ready for some carpal tunnel to go along with that ensemble.
