The Fashion Fund: Fashion Reality TV at Its Best

Ever so quietly, a new fashion television show has started to strut down the well-traveled television catwalk.

But this show carries a cache that all the other shows, Project Runway included, can only dream about. For one thing, this new show, called The Fashion Fund, which debuted Jan. 22 and is to air six episodes on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on the Ovation cable channel, is more of a documentary than a reality show. It follows some of the most respected emerging designers in the country competing in what is arguably the American fashion world’s most prestigious fashion competition, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

Oh yes, one of its main judges is Anna Wintour. And really, that’s all that needs to be said. While Wintour’s presence certainly gives “The Fashion Fund” television show a certain prestige, those behind the series said the real story (and focus) is the designers.

“In many ways these young designers and their stories have really not been told before as far as what it takes to be in the fashion business,” said Ricki Stern, the show’s co-executive producer and co-director. “The reality is it takes a combination of art and commerce. These young, creative visionaries have to take what they have and make it into something that can be a viable business.”

That focus on the reality of the fashion world is a major difference from how fashion is usually represented on television. Instead of a made-for-TV drama with specially concocted challenges, “The Fashion Fund” chronicles the actual ups and downs of the 10 emerging designer finalists selected to vie for the top prize of the prestigious award that is a joint venture between Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Past winners have included Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Philip Lim, and Rag & Bone.

The first episode actually focused on the selection of the finalists including the painstaking process many of the designers went through to put together their portfolios.

“It’s real. These are real people. These are people’s real careers. You can’t fake it. We don’t fake it,” Stern said.

Stern said the production team saw the potential for a television show after spending two years documenting the competition for special Vogue webisodes.

“Here you have 10 young design teams that are selected through a process by 10 very well known and respected judges from the business. And then they go through four or five months of real challenges, challenges that will lead to furthering their careers,” she said. “They get a lot of support and mentorship and you really see the struggles along the way. It’s very aspirational and inspirational.’”

“Without originally intending to be that way when it started, it’s built for television narrative and drama. The stakes are really high, even more so than any fake reality show, because if they win or even they don’t win, just being in this has a huge impact on their careers. You see that that as it all unfolds and I think that makes for good storytelling.”

“The Fashion Fund” television show follows the 2013 competition for the top award which includes a $300,000 grant and a one-year-long mentorship with an industry expert. Winners last year were Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty of SUNO for women’s wear, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School  for menswear, and Pamela Love for accessories.

Stern said she doesn’t know yet if Ovation will decide to order another season of the television show. “We hope so. We’re hopeful because there’s such inherent storytelling and inherent drama with each of these young designers’ experiences,” she said. “They’re clearly working hard. They each have obstacles and they work to overcome them. And that’s the basis for any good dramatic narrative.”

—Karyn D. Collins