Parents' Guide to

Fashion Star

By Elka Karl, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Brand names get lots of attention in fashion design show.

TV NBC Reality TV 2012
Fashion Star Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 1 parent review

age 11+

Great Show!!!!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much consumerism

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Fashion Star excels at presenting an exciting, polished look at ready-to-wear designs. There's a lot of surface in this show, but not necessarily much heart or emotional appeal. The majority of each episode is presented on a stage (with a live audience) that makes it look more like American Idol than Project Runway. Designers' back stories are used as segues between the presentations of each week's collections, along with minimal time spent in the workroom. This makes the overall effect very different from almost any other fashion reality show -- and helps to distinguish it from Project Runway-type spin-offs -- but not necessarily in a good way.

The pounding soundtrack (Lady Gaga shows up, along with other top 40 dance artists), strobe lights, and Hollywood glitz make Fashion Star fairly fun to watch, but they also make it more like a game show. Jessica%20Simpson's runway commentary is often awkward (she actually offers much better advice on the workroom floor than she does on stage), and overall the advice is so limited that there's just not much to this show. Add that with an emphasis on arguments between designers, and this isn't great stuff for tweens or young teens. Older teens with an interest in fashion might find something of minimal value here. Just make sure to pepper the after-show conversation with your opinion about fast fashion and consumerism.

TV Details

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