Watch: Tan France Talks Second Season of 'Next in Fashion'
Fashion icon Tan France returns to Netflix March 3 for a second season of reality competition show "Next in Fashion." At his side this time around will be supermodel Gigi Hadid. The two gel well together, bringing fun, humor, and style to the show even as they mentor — and ultimately judge — a fresh cast of talented hopefuls.
The 10-episode run will start out with a diverse array of exciting young designers who will seek to prove themselves to France, Hadid, frequent guest judge Jason Bolden, and an ever-changing lineup of additional guest judges drawn from a deep pool of both designers and models that includes, among others, Gigi's sister Bella Hadid, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Emma Chamberlain, Helena Christensen, Isabel Marant, Olivier Rousteing, and... wait for it... Donatella Versace.
Competing for a $200,000 prize — and the career-altering, life-changing opportunities that come with it — the cast will cut, sew, and agonize; viewers will share their hopes, triumphs, and defeats. But what truly stands out from the episodes made available in advance is how the cast — which includes Amari Carter, Bao Tranchi, Courtney Smith, Danny Godoy, Deontre Hancock, Desyrée Nicole, Eliana Batsakis, James Ford, Megan O'Cain, Nigel Xavier, Qaysean Williams, and Usama Ishtay — work well together, turning to each other for advice and inspiration, and supporting one another's visions even as they each do their best to prevail in the end.
The LGBTQ+ community is well-represented by these fashion trade up-and-comers, who will be faced with challenges that require them to conceptualize, cut, construct, and then show off their best ideas in order to stay in the running. Week by week, one or more of them are sent home. The challenges only get tougher, and the new season's suspense, surprises, and stakes get higher as the episodes unfold.
EDGE had the opportunity to speak with Tan France about the show's new season, working with Gigi Hadid, and bringing his wisdom to a new generation of visionary designers.
EDGE: What thrills you about working with the cast of young designers that you've got on the show this season?
Tan France: Gosh, so much. I love their energy. Many of our designers are a little bit younger than me — like a year, possibly [grins jokingly] — and so their perspective is different to mine. And the thing with a show like this is, I don't expect to want to wear everything, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate it for what it is; it's a piece of art, and it's something so creative and [it comes] from their perspective and point of view.
And so what I love about this new batch of designers is that they're at the start of their career as opposed to, it's been 10 to 15 years [that they have been active in the business], as many of them had [been] last season. And so, they're really malleable. They're really willing to take on information feedback to really encourage them to reconsider their designs. And I think that's what's [got me] most excited about this. batch of designers.
EDGE: Do you feel that your mentoring of these young designers is something that carries over from your work on "Queer Eye?"
Tan France: You know, when it comes to the emotional journey that they all have to go on with a competition show like this — yes, I definitely use what I have learned through my experience on "Queer Eye" to tackle those moments. However, when it comes to their design and what they're working on technically, I am a technical designer. It's how I really built my career and made my fortune. And so, I do love that I have both facets to offer the designers. I'm able to say, "I know that fabric is only a two-way stretcher, as opposed to a four-way; it's not going to do what you want it to do. With all the will in the world, that pattern is not going to work for you." "You've got that pattern wrong." "You're using the wrong stitch on that."
Some of those elements you never get to see on the show; they're not added into the show, because that's probably boring for most people. But for me, it's very important that they know that I'm coming from a place of understanding and real technical ability.
EDGE: Has it been a dream for you to have guest judges like Haley Bieber, Candice Swanepoel — and, of course, Donatella Versace?
Tan France: Yeah. So, it has been a recent dream to have the likes of Haley and Candice and Emma, all of those. It has been a lifelong dream to be in a space where I would get to breathe the same air as Donatella, Isabel Marant, Olivier Rousteing... the fact that we had them on the show blew my mind, and seeing just how gracious they were, and generous they were with our designers, was the most surprising point. I thought they would come on and judge and possibly be cold, and, just, the designer that you see that's a caricature of a designer in the likes of "Devil Wears Prada." But these were lovely, kind people who just wanted to mentor these young minds, and that was beautiful.
EDGE: And on the subject of those you share the screen with, it's just such a great vibe you share with Gigi Hadid. I know you're friends. Was it your idea to bring her on the show?
Tan France: It was. Netflix told us that they wanted to bring the show back, and they were asking who I might want to be my new co-host, and Gigi and I have been friends for over five years now. And for me, she's the perfect fit. She's, as far as I'm concerned, the girl next door. She's funny. She's so lovely. She really understands design. She's got such a strong opinion about clothing. For me, there was nobody else.
The new season of "Next On Fashion" premieres on Netflix March 3.
Watch the trailer: