Fern Mallis defends The Fashion Show

We grew to know and love Fern Mallis, the mastermind behind New York Fashion Week, after she regularly guest starred on Project Runway, advising the top finalists toward their very first (and usually last) fashion week show. But after Project Runway was caught in programming limbo, as the Weinsteins tried to move their hot reality property over to Lifetime, Bravo decided to step up to the plate and create their own show, The Fashion Show.

The casts are very similar. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi hosts, while Fern Mallis plays a judge, replacing Tim Gunn and PR regular Michael Kors. And Kelly Rowland was tapped to play Heidi Klum, minus the German catchphrases.

We caught up with Mallis at the W New York Upfronts gifting suite, where the new TV star was enjoying some of the perks that come along with the job, like picking up freebies like bags by Radley London, Desert Essence coconut body wash, a dress from Yansi Fugel, and recycled speakers from Fashionation.

The Fashion Week director had a huge challenge this year in showcasing the Spring Fashion Week collections during a recession, but she managed to make the shows very time appropriate. Designers appealed to the recession blues by bringing bold uplifting colors to the runway, as well as revealing fantastically creative pieces. Moreover, an overwhelming amount of designers made sustainable collections, meaning they were created to last, and worth the investment. "I think trends are over," Mallis tells us. "No one wants something that you have to throw out in a year. Fashion is about making you excited about clothing. Nobody needs anything new. We're not in the business of selling underwear for the most part. People need something that will change their life or make them feel happy."

Fashion in a recession means buying only what you truly love, and being able to work with different items to create multiple looks. "I think this is going to be a huge season for accessories, because that's an easy way to change up looks," she said. And those accessories don't have to be expensive. Mallis was wearing silk-wrapped bangles from India that cost less than a dollar, as well as rocking TOMS shoes.

Her new show did not come about without controversy. The blogosphere was abuzz (much the same way that NBC's new Parks and Recreation was a little too similar to The Office) that The Fashion Show is a mere copy of the superior Project Runway.

To that, Mallis replies hogwash. "Bravo created Project Runway, so Bravo helped create that whole frenzy and interest in fashion reality. They've done that now in lots of categories and segments," she said. "I think they know how to do it better than anybody. And when it was clear that they weren't going to have a season because of the legal issues that were involved, they took that concept and took it to a new place."

The ways in which The Fashion Show differs from Project Runway are as follows: a live studio audience, a winner each week, the winning design is sold on Bravo.tv each week, and America votes on the finale for the grand prize winner. Whether or not there are enough differences, we shall soon see come the interest for a second season. "I mean how many medical and hospital shows are there on television? How many legal shows are there? How many police dramas are there? You know there's room for more than one of a particular genre of programming," Mallis said.

Unfortunately she won't be making any Project Runway cameos anytime soon. "The last season of Project Runway was filmed in Los Angeles," she said. "And that season is finished and won't start airing until our season on Bravo finishes in August. And then I think that they're casting now for the next season, by being on the show with Bravo, The Fashion Show, I think that my days of guest judging on Project Runway are probably over."

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Comments

[vavaboom69]

I was attracted to fashion show for awhile but if you come to think about, it it is only a second rate , trying hard copy cat of Project Runway. It was like buying a fake LV and try to pass it on as real but you knew deep inside it is a knock off. In case of FS, a really bad one. They try hard to make it different by having an audience for the judging, audience voting at the end but same dog different collar. Adding insult is having Isaac Mizrahi who is over the top judge-host , who hugs the show like it is " THE ISAAC MIZRAHI SHOW". Adding injuries is Kelly Rowland, who in one challenge trying to pretend she knows Halston but can not give a very disctinctive description of the Icon designer. Just like a fake designer purse, its has done its course and time to throw it in the garbage can.

[daffnee]

I am a big fan of Project Runway but I must confess I like this format better.

I don't miss the "fashion" created from plants and car parts, that was too "crafty" for me.

I love the audience during the runway presentation and also that there is much less emphasis on the models. It's always about the fashion, not the hangers.

The viewers who complain about Isaac need to remember he has to wear two hats in this show, both advisor and judge. If anything, that's what isn't working.

I say lighten up, wear your best objectivity chapeau and give them a chance to "make it work".

[renagade]

well of course fern mallis will defend the fashion show- she's on it- and where else does she have credibility to be on a tv show?H her argument for the show, that there are losts of same shows regarding medicine or police drama is less than weak- The fashion show is the same format and
concept as project runway- and nothing is really new excpet a studio audience.
It's a copy show and it is not a spin off as law and order or csi type genre shows.
and most of all the show is bad!
I have said before that someone needs to look for another designer beside isaac mizrahi-
or he just the only designer that wants to be a tv star;the rest are really working on designing clothing.
Ralph Lauren speaks with a horrible lateral L lisp, so he'd be so demystifying to see on TV, and
donna Karan is abrasive and vulgar, Calvin Klein might be good, why doesn't someone ask him?
Probably because Isaac is such a shamless self promoter that he gets these jobs, but the show suffers from his comments and point of view- Fern Mallis is not a compelling force besides being what amounts to a show salesperson. Where is an editor? for that matter where are the desginers???
her sense of fashion is non existent, and her look is non aspirational and not interesting either.