When the American reality show Fashion Star was cancelled after two seasons in 2013, executives at Dubai One, which aired the show in the Middle East, were left with a programming conundrum.
“The show was doing really well for us and we didn’t really want to let go,” recalls Sarah Al Jarman, the director of the channel, which broadcasts shows in English.
Then someone had an idea.
“We’ve always wanted to go into the reality show format. And there’s already been a few singing competition shows, but nothing on fashion. And fashion’s big in the region,” she says. “So we thought ‘Why not adapt the show for the region and do an Arabic version?’”
It didn’t take long for the show to get a green light.
“Everybody was kind of excited to try it. Reality shows work well and our numbers always peaked when we air them. So there was not much convincing to do,” says Al Jarman.
In a slight departure for the channel, the show would be filmed in Arabic, but subtitled in English.
“A majority of our viewers are English-speaking Arabs. We wanted to tailor a show for them,” she adds.
In the American show, singer Jessica Simpson and designers Nicole Richie and John Varvatos act as mentors who work with the contestants, all aspiring designers, to bring their creations to life. Each week, the designers sell their designs to fashion buyers and those that fail to make a sale are up for elimination. English presenter Louise Roe and model Elle Macpherson were both on the show as presenters.
The Arabic Fashion Star, which premieres on February 3 on Dubai One, will follow a similar format, says Al Jarman. Lebanese designer Reem Acra, a well-known name in Hollywood and internationally, will be head mentor.
She was the top choice ever since the idea for the show was floated.
“We wanted someone that had an international appeal, but who was also Middle Eastern,” says Al Jarman. “We needed someone who could bring Western and Eastern fashion sensibilities to the show.”
Acra, who first made a name for herself with her bridalwear line, is also a board member of the Dubai Design and Fashion Council. She says the show can rival any other reality show anywhere in the world.
“I hope [it] receives public attention and that our young contestants grow a wide fan-base. Based on the new ideas and contemporary designs the programme has in store, as well as the submissions of our ambitious designers, I am optimistic that the show has great things in store,” she said in a statement.
Acra will be joined on the show by designers Hana Bin Abdul Salam and Ramzi Tabiat, both of whom will be assigned a team of designers. Tunisian actress Leila Ben Khalifa will make her debut as presenter.
Filmed in Dubai and Beirut, Fashion Star will see 12 designers from across the Middle East and North Africa compete for the top prize: a Dh500,000 fashion contract to create a capsule collection for online retailer namshi.com. It will air weekly, and have for 11 episodes.
To make sure the show gets off to a good start, Al Jarman says the contestants were hand-picked for the first season.
“We didn’t want amateurs. We wanted to have designers who have at least studied or have an established line. We wanted to benchmark the level and the quality of the show,” she explains. “Of course, moving on, once we start talking about the next season — depending on how well the first season does — we’ll start auditioning and casting for the show.”
Another important element, she adds, was for the show to have a Pan-Arab feel in terms of representation.
“Our contestants are from almost every country in the Arab world, from the UAE to Saudi and Egypt. “We hand-picked the designers for the premiere season as they needed to have some kind of design knowledge. But they are all young and modern, each with their own unique sense of style.”
Although she was not willing to reveal how much her channel spent on the show, Al Jarman says the production, which has already wrapped up, took six to eight months, including post-production.
Audiences can look forward to lots of creativity and some healthy competition.
“More than anything, it’s just amazing to see the kind of talent we have in the region. It’s very encouraging,” she says. “The mentors were quite tough on them and set the bar really high. You’ll be amazed how the designers evolve with each episode and the eventual outcome of the show.”Read more at:princess prom dresses
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