Season 2 of the NBC hit Fashion Star is premiering on March 8 and, Caprice Willard, buyer for Macy’s, is revealing what the buyers are looking for when it comes to great design and how Fashion Star changed the game as far as reality TV fashion shows go.
When Willard saw the looks presented by Kara Laricks winner of Fashion Star Season 1, she was immediately impressed. Willard is always looking for the next fresh collection to add to Macy’s already popular brands and when asked to join Fashion Star she took the opportunity to create a platform where Macy’s has on edge on the next hottest designer.
“I like Kara’s masculine meets feminine look. It was different than anything we had on the Macy’s floor,” Willard says. “The whole reason we did the show was to find the next fashion brand. We like to nurture new talent.”
Fashion Star is one of the few reality shows that actually give viewers a peek inside the fashion world and how clothes reach the stores. Willard says, the real life aspect of the show is what attracts people.
“Everyone is looking for immediate gratification. People can go online now and become experts at anything,” Willard says. “There is a major interest in the inner working so the fashion industry. Nothing really speaks to the clothes America wears every day and ultimately how they get clothes into the stores. A lot of people were interested in the show for that reason.”
Featuring actual department store buyers for H&M, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s gives viewers an inside track into what actually goes on behind the scenes, and it also opens the audience up to the many possibilities in fashion. Willard says Fashion Star shows people that in an industry dominated by a limited image of beauty there are people of color who are in highly influential positions.
“It gave me a lot of personal satisfaction, for me personally it’s a great opportunity to show there are a few of us that have positions behind the scene,” Willard explains. “A lot of people reached out that didn’t know this was a viable career opportunity. We at Macy’s are very focused on a diverse market and we have executives that reflect the community we service. We support our community.”
Catch season 2 premiere of Fashion Star on Friday March 8 8/7c
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