Netflix’s ‘Next In Fashion’ Storms The Reality TV Runway

Fans of fashion, reality TV and high drama might find that all their Christmases have arrived at once when they tune in to season one of ‘Next in Fashion’ on Netflix.

In what might be seen as Netflix’s shot at challenging the crown that ‘Project Runway’ has held on to for so long, ‘Next in Fashion’ is a worthy contender in the arena of the reality TV fashion design competition.

Hosted by the effortlessly cool Brit Alexa Chung, known as much for her offbeat style and successful fashion label as for being an It girl, and Tan France, the sleek, witty and yet disarmingly down to earth co-host of another successful Netflix franchise, ‘Queer Eye’, ‘Next in Fashion’ promises to give an overdone genre a makeover. Repackaging design and drama with a brand new bow, the result is 10 quirky episodes that pit designers against each other to see who comes out on top. And we are here for it.

Eighteen fashion designers from around the world jostling for a cash prize by making beautiful clothing may not be a new concept for this reality TV sub-genre, but Netflix has found a way to repackage it into the cool, poised, thoroughly on-trend version of what ‘Project Runway’ once was.

The fraught dynamics that come along with elimination rounds are perhaps inevitable – but what ‘Next in Fashion’ does so cleverly is entertain its audience without resorting to creating a formulaic ‘villain’ of the series, or poking the bear to prompt some manufactured tension. Instead, it cleverly turns the old formula of immaculately turned out host, stressed contestants and unrelatable judges on its head, and gives us the best of what a fashion competition can offer. The show puts the spotlight astutely on the contestants, allowing their quirks, vulnerabilities and back stories to generate the sparkle. Whether it’s the hosts’ British accents or their endearing banter, or the contestants’ unexpectedly likeable personalities and impressive design skills, ‘Next in Fashion’ is like a beautiful, sparkly breath of fresh air.

The contestants soon reveal themselves to be not only very relatable and even-tempered (aside from one or two unavoidable meltdowns), but also talented and determined, each with their own impressive array of achievements. From fashion design lecturers, to Forbes-under-30 winners, several of these formidable contestants have their own successful labels and have navigated the precarious world of design in their own right, and it shows.

Although some of the eventual designs might not be to everyone’s taste, the winding road to creating them is entertaining and well worth a look.

Topping off the talent on display is a heavy sprinkling of voguish judges with equally impressive credentials, with appearances by celebrity stylists Elizabeth Stewart and Jason Bolden, seasoned designers Christopher Kane, Monique Lhuillier and Tommy Hilfiger and even Beth Ditto, lead singer of wildly successful band The Gossip.

The format has some obvious flaws, however – it’s soon evident that 36 hours is not enough time for anyone, no matter how talented, to put together a proper garment without some details falling by the wayside. And pairing the contestants in the first half of the show leads to some of the more talented designers dropping out early as a result of their less fortunate teammates. But because of all the talent, or despite it, the show manages not to take itself too seriously, and the end result is a feather in the cap of Netflix’s 2020 roster.

• Emmeritta Lilo

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