Bingeable: Next in Fashion

Netflix

Written by Danny Chura

“Next in Fashion” is the newest reality show on Netflix about who can be the next biggest fashion designer. It was released this January and is hosted by well-known designers, Tan France and Alexa Chung. The show is similar to other fashion shows like the famous “Project Runway,” but I think it manages to distinguish itself in a way that is relevant and fresh. 

The show starts out with nine teams of two experienced designers as they compete in challenges. Each challenge is themed around a different aspect of fashion design, like denim, streetwear, or lingerie. The show's structure is nothing that you haven’t seen before in a fashion reality show, but I think the teams make for a more interesting experience. Especially at the start, when there are so many people competing, the teams make it easier to keep track of everyone. 

The colorful cast of contestants is something that really shines for me. Everyone has their own story you gradually learn throughout the episodes, and I think the casting crew did an amazing job of finding people from a huge variety of backgrounds. You have designers from all over the world — China, South America, Europe, and Africa — which make their individual styles stand out. All the teams become endearing and compelling as you get to know them. I do find the title,  “Next in Fashion,” a bit of a misnomer because almost every contestant has already made their own line or has dressed celebrities like Beyonce in the past. I guess some extra cash and bigger platform never hurt

What I especially love about this show is the fact that it's a reality show competition, but it doesn’t rely on unnecessary drama to get their views. The teams don’t constantly fight with each other, the judges aren’t overly rude, and people don’t hate each other. Comparing how they act here vs “Project Runway” is like night and day. 

That's not to say “Next in Fashion” doesn’t have its moments, but in general everyone seems to be there to support each other and get their work done. As someone who watches these shows primarily for the fashion, I’m glad that’s what the producers went for.

One minor complaint I do have with “Next in Fashion” is that although the judges are more supportive, I think sometimes it can get unprofessional and messy. There's one episode in particular where a guest judge doesn’t like the decision of who to send home, so he walks out of the studio. This leaves the rest of the judges to make the decision to keep the team in for another round, even though that team had been in the bottom for the past three episodes. I’m sure a lot of this just has to do with the fact that this is their first season, and they haven’t gotten the formula down just yet. This could totally be fixed in a potential season two.

I think “Next in Fashion” is a solid new fashion reality show that I enjoyed watching. I look forward to seeing how it develops. It was a little rough around the edges and maybe a little bit simpler than other fashion shows, but the overall lack of drama and cute cast definitely made up for it. All in all, I thought it was a charming new addition to the Netflix roster, and possibly my new favorite fashion show.  It’s definitely going on my list.