Netflix, you’ve really done it again.
Next in Fashion showcases a set of extremely talented designers, most of them having industry experience varying from their own clothing line that dons the likes of Harry Styles, to working for Jay-Z’s Rocawear, Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney and everywhere in between.
This incredible brainchild of Queer Eye’s style expert Tan France and blogger/designer Alexa Chung follows a Project Runway-type format, giving the contestants the category of garment to create for a fashion show typically 2-3 days later.
The contestants are divided into teams of two until nearly the final rounds, breaking free into their own to fight for $250,000 from Net-A-Porter and a spot on their website.
I didn’t know what to expect from Next in Fashion; being a Queer Eye superfan and having followed Alexa Chung for years now, greatness was anticipated.
And let me tell you, this show exceeded every single expectation I could’ve ever had.
It’s Project Runway without the drama.
Don’t get me wrong, they all had a strong thirst for this once in a lifetime opportunity. However, the cast unanimously formed a family with Tan and Alexa as the fantastic leads we all had no idea we needed. Whether it was sharing materials or motivating words, the contestants had each other’s backs from start to end, the thick and thin of the competition, even when the stakes were highest.
Even after one designer was eliminated, he said, “This was the most positive experience I’ve ever had in the industry.”
Tan France even cried to the group after the judges failed to come to a conclusion on an elimination, expressing his remorse over making them sit and wait in agony.
The designers were treated with the utmost respect, the guest judges and hosts never making a mockery of their creations if they failed the task at hand, only offering constructive criticism for them even if they were going home.
As a lover of fashion myself, this show expanded my creativity and my respect for unsung designers. We never really think to ourselves, who’s behind the biggest names in the game?
What we all may have suspected is true: Jay-Z didn’t sit down with his tracing paper and croquis, spending many hours into the night creating his apparel line. This isn’t to say he didn’t have anything to do with it, but more often than not there’s a team of talented people behind every big name.
That’s what this competition is for, shining a light on those unsung talents who have found success, but want to take it to the next level, they want to create on their own terms, with their own names and stories.
You don’t have to be a fashion buff to enjoy this new series. It’s a show anyone who has a passion for competition and creativity will love and leave feeling inspired by the positivity it produces.
I’m waiting on the edge of my seat for the next season, so I can cry all the way through with Tan and Alexa, just like the first time.
Words by Olivia Hawkins
Graphic courtesy of Netflix