As you wait for the next season of “Queer Eye” to come out (which is set to take place in Philadelphia!!), you should check out “Next in Fashion,” the new Netflix fashion competition show. The show stars Tan France, a fashion designer and tv personality, most well known for being a part of the Fab Five from “Queer Eye,” and Alexa Chung, a model and fashion designer, along with 18 contestants.
The show begins with 18 fashion designers competing against one another on teams of two. Each episode opens with a different challenge. For example, the first episode’s challenge is to create a red carpet look in just two days. Some of the teams have worked together before, but some have not, which ends up causing some trouble later in the show. As the competition continues, the teams are narrowed down farther and farther. Towards the end, the teams must split up and work on alone in a competition against one another.
While I really liked all the challenges and outfits, my favorite episode was probably episode four, the streetwear episode.
In this episode, the contestants were given the challenge of coming up with not one, but two streetwear looks. Personally, I think all the outfits from this episode were stunning, but I would have to say my favorite was Angel and Minju’s, but it really is hard to pick a favorite. The final pieces ranged from classic 80s- inspired looks to more modern and conceptual fits. I really love how you can see the story behind each piece unfold, and how each designer’s personality and style shines through on the runway.
The episode on streetwear also raised controversy over the idea of minority designers not having their voices heard in the fashion industry. Farai and Kiki, who are from Brooklyn, New York and are very experienced in the streetwear scene, spoke on this issue. They talked about how a lot of times, the people at the top of the fashion industry are only looking for and accepting a certain style and voice. However, streetwear is supposed to be representative of what the everyday person is wearing, not what celebrities are wearing or what high end retailers are selling. In the end, the pair knew that they designed their outfits how they wanted them to be designed. One of the standout moments of the season was when Farai says to the judges that “the high-end brands and designers are taking ideas from us every single day, and it only becomes cool when it’s high-end. For a lot of us minorities and the underprivileged, we want you to see us, but it’s so hard to be seen.”
One of my favorite parts of this series was seeing how fashion designers incorporate their own unique styles and experiences, as well as raising awareness for specific causes, through their fashion. For example, in episode four, Claire and Adolfo created a piece resembling a trash bag to raise awareness for sustainability. Similarly, in episode nine, Daniel used the other contestant’s clothing scraps to make a design on his dress resembling an iceberg. He wanted to incorporate sustainability into his piece through the design process and the actual making of the dress. Watching people use their platform to raise awareness for important causes is one of the many inspiring aspects of the show.
In the end, there can be only one winner. While I won’t spoil it for anyone who wants to watch the show, I will say that the winning contestant definitely stayed true to their super creative style, despite it not being an easy path to success. The thing I appreciate most about this contestant is their humility and eagerness to use this opportunity as a growing process, and not just as a way to get noticed and earn lots of money. Netflix definitely has another hit on their hands with “Next in Fashion.” The show is entertaining and inspiring from start to finish, and I can only hope that we get a second season in the near future!
Ah, trends of the 2010’s — you will not be missed.