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Reality TV was a new wrinkle for fashion

Some view fashion reality TV as a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the mysterious world of designers. Others see it as an opportunity for any Joe Schmoe with a pair of scissors to design a dress for Angelina Jolie. In any case, the genre has changed the fashion landscape.

The Rachel Zoe Project: The stylist takes center stage. (Photo by Andrew Durham)
The Rachel Zoe Project: The stylist takes center stage. (Photo by Andrew Durham)Read more

Some view fashion reality TV as a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the mysterious world of designers. Others see it as an opportunity for any Joe Schmoe with a pair of scissors to design a dress for Angelina Jolie. In any case, the genre has changed the fashion landscape.

Thanks to these kinds of shows, people who only dreamed of being designers - recall Project Runway alums Chloe Dao or Christian Siriano - now have full-fledged lines. People who once operated on the sidelines - think stylist Rachel Zoe - are stars in their own right. And let's not forget the fashionista viewer, now as well-versed in bias cuts as in bobs - for better or for worse.

"I think reality TV has helped my customer understand the fashion business a lot more, and that's a good thing because they understand the process of how clothing gets into the stores," said Ann Gitter, owner of Knit Wit in Center City. "But it can be bad, too, because there's no lead time anymore. People want the stuff the same time they see it on a reality TV design program. But I couldn't get it in the store for another three months."

We can thank Bravo.

In 2003, the network launched Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, in which the Fab 5 - a glam squad with expertise in fashion, grooming, and culture - made it cool for straight men to get in touch with their better-looking selves.

Soon after, UPN premiered America's Next Top Model, hosted and produced by cover girl Tyra Banks. And the following year came Bravo's Project Runway, the grandmother of all artist-in-the-making shows, taking viewers to a place where personal style and modeling opportunities start: the cutting-room floor of a fledging fashion designer.

Since then, there's been spin-off after spin-off - some successes, some not - including Tim Gunn's short-lived Guide to Style on Bravo. And on the Oxygen Network, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency is in its fifth season. (It started in 2006, had four seasons, and the network relaunched it this year.)

"I think these days designers are more accessible; people understand design and construction," said Andy Cohen, Bravo's senior vice president of programming and original development. "They want to see what goes on behind the scenes."

Add to the list docudramas starring divas and industry giants, and now competition shows have infiltrated the beauty industry, too: There's Bravo's Shear Genius and Reality Hair Star, which debuts on Oxygen next week.

Here are some of the most influential shows among the three fashion reality TV genres.

Makeover shows

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo, 2003) "This show introduced the concept of expert-meets-everyday-person as an agent of change," said local red-carpet expert Erica Salmon. "And this phenomenon bled into looks, lifestyles, and apartments. It also introduced the concept of celebrity stylist."

What Not to Wear, (TLC, 2003) "This was like a mini-tutorial that helped everyday people solve their fashion problems," said stylist and fashion pop-culture expert Robert Verdi - star of The Robert Verdi Show, a spoof of reality TV. "This was one of the first shows that showed women they don't have to be intimidated by fashion, that a woman could come up with their own rule book based on her body type." It is also the show that launched the career of then-fashion journalist Stacy London.

Ambush Makeover and How Do I Look? (Style Network, 2004) These shows had friends, mothers, and neighbors ambushing style victims and demanding they get help. "These shows were biggies," Salmon said. "We learn why the person made the style choices they did. We could see ourselves in these people."

10 Years Younger (TLC, introduced in 2004, took a hiatus, returned in January 2008) One of the first shows to focus on bona fide grown-ups - people older than 25 - and attempt to make them look 25. This was the precursor to shows such as TV Land's She's Got the Look, which debuted in 2008 and focuses on a search for models older than 35.

Competition shows

America's Next Top Model (UPN, May 2003) Former Victoria's Secret supermodel Tyra Banks shows young women the modeling ropes. "People got a sneak peek into how crazy, chaotic, and competitive the life of a model is, and all the work they have to do," Verdi said. In the minds of all tall, skinny girls, becoming a model suddenly seems attainable, he added - "even though it's not a plausible reality."

Project Runway (Bravo, December 2004) On the heels of Banks' success, Heidi Klum focuses on the designer. This show would have the most influence on the fashion industry. It breathed new life into Elle magazine, thanks to the participation of Nina Garcia, then its fashion editor. And Michael Kors became more than tan-and-white labels on Neiman's racks. Although Runway has produced some breakout stars, "Where this show doesn't do a good job is making everybody think all they need to do is sit in front of a sewing machine and they are the next Givenchy," Verdi said.

Shear Genius (Bravo, April 2007) If designers can have center stage, why not hairdressers? This show doesn't have as big a following as Runway, but it was among the first to apply the beauty concept to the fashion-type competition. Viewers see that cutting hair on the fly requires just as much skill as creating gowns from garbage bags.

Diva as docudrama

Rachel Zoe Project (Bravo, 2008) This docudrama follows stylist-to-the-stars and Fashion Week regular Rachel Zoe. No longer just a part of the background, the stylist takes center stage. "It's a little over the top because it portrays dressing celebrities to be tantamount to world crisis," Verdi said. "That's a bit much."

Kell on Earth (Bravo, 2010) Kelly Cutrone is the owner of People's Revolution, a New York-based public relations company that produces fashion shows for New York Fashion Week and represents designers. Similar to stylists' entrance into the limelight, now public relations and marketing types get our attention as they organize hundreds of seats for a Fashion Week presentation under the Bryant Park tents. "Kelly is about irreverent empowerment," said Verdi. Also, while Cutrone doesn't fit the industry standard of "pretty waif," she's respected in the industry, showing viewers there's more to fashion royalty than being thin and mean, a la Vogue's Anna Wintour.