'Stylista' Fashion Reality TV Series Debuts on CW

by Terri Potratz | October 22, 2008 at 09:09 am

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Following in the wake of successful fashion reality TV programs like Project Runway and America's Next Top Model comes a new series by the CW, Stylista.

The 11 contestants are all vying for a position as a junior editor at Elle Magazine, working beneath fashion news director Anne Slowey. The winner will nab the job at Elle, a rent-free Manhattan apartment, and a $100,000 clothing allowance for a year.

Each week the players compete in a mix of assistant and editorial tasks. In the first challenge, they must prepare a breakfast for Anne Slowey, Elle’s fashion news director and accessories editor.

Slowey makes an entrance that proves she’s watched “The Devil Wears Prada” at least a dozen times. It would be laughable were it not so poorly executed. She drops her coat off at the reception desk a la Meryl Streep and clomps into her office, stiffly ignoring the 11 young people holding trays of breakfast for her.

“I don’t do almonds unless they’re soaked overnight,” says Slowey, who in some frames resembles Ann Coulter with Jersey hair.

“Stylista” is produced by Tyra Banks. Much like her never-ending “America’s Next Top Model,” the show’s emphasis is on contemptible behavior. Cast mates almost immediately strategize to neutralize others. Megan has something nasty to say about everyone. One contestant has several meltdowns over being forced to wear clothes that cover her expensive cleavage.

There has been much hub-bub about Slowey's portrayal on the show - not only is she not known for being a ruthless figure in the world of fashion, but Elle Magazine is hardly among the ranks of Vogue Magazine though it clearly tries to emulate it.

Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar for her role as the exacting editor of Runway magazine in “The Devil Wears Prada,” and Ms. Slowey ought to receive a reality-TV acting Emmy for playing a much more intimidating version of herself.

Though the cattiness among the contestants shows some serious promise, not all of the outlooks on the show's future look bright:

“Stylista” would appear a perfect fit for the CW, as a young-skewing show on a young-skewing network.

Its one worry is that it could be too niche. Yes, it's very much like “Top Model” and to some degree Bravo’s “Project Runway” in concept: Young women compete for fame in the fashion industry.

But whereas millions of young women may aspire to be models or design clothing, the number who want to become fashion editors would seem a lot smaller. How many young women read Elle?