Fandom Fashionista

DISCLAIMER: If you don’t want to be spoiled for the premiere of this show, I suggest you refrain from reading past the jump. Kisses!

When Nina Garcia “left” Elle to become Fashion Director for Marie Claire, the fashion world let out a collective gasp. Would the struggling mag let Garcia spread her wings to make the somewhat petrified pub soar or would the periodical subdue her into some desk job where she would spend the next thirteen years of her life pounding out babies and books about style without having any real effect?

Fear not, dear readers. New reality show (or “docu-soap” as the network has dubbed it) Running In Heels on Style Network will capture Garcia’s first few months at Marie Claire, complete with power trips, fashion page debates, and drama drama drama. The show will also follow three interns from across the country just starting at the magazine and Marie Claire’s Editor-In-Chief, Joanna Coles.

My Initial Thoughts

From left: DC, LA, and Idaho (their names will be mportant if they start talking sense)

First, we meet the three interns plucked from different locales around the country. For convenience purposes, I’ll call them LA, DC, and Idaho. Idaho is actually from Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, but in the fashion world, her coworkers probably call her “Bumf***, Idaho” behind her back, so I’ll abbreviate it as such. DC seems neurotic, cutthroat and very East Coast. I like her the most. She has an immediate aversion to LA, who is, unfortunately, the best dressed it seems. LA, however, loses any redeeming qualities because she is carrying the stereotypical yipyip chihuahua, appropriately named (vomit) Chanel. Idaho is the sweet one “who’s never even been friends with people like this in her entire life” because she’s only lived in a town of less then 65,000 people.

Fantasy apartment on Mercer; not realistic for three interns

As if “docu-soaps” based around the fashion industry could get any less realistic, the girls move into their new apartment on Mercer (read: SoHo) that they “found on the internet” and “only saw a few pictures of”. Lies. Either the show pays for the place, or Marie Claire puts them up. The lie itself doesn’t bother me; I just wish they’d be honest about what real interns live like and how these girls are clearly very fortunate. That’s all I’m sayin’.

We’re then introduced to the staff, starting with EIC Joanna Coles, whom I love to bits and not just because she’s British. Her style is impeccable and that is verified by every piece she dons throughout the episode. Clearly, “it’s good to be the Queen.” Next is Zoe Glassner, who I’ve actually heard of, even though I don’t sub/read MC. She’s Senior Shopping Editor and has a killer job that is stressing her out. Suffice it to say she seems frazzled throughout the episode, but knows how good she has it. The next “character” is Executive Editor Lucy Kaylin, whose fringe totally dates the show (as in you can totally tell it was filmed last September, even before they get to the tents). Kaylin describes herself as Joanna’s “right-hand man”, so she’s definitely a force at the pub.

Zanna's first look; so me it's not funny (though I need a leather jacket first)

Zanna close-up; adorable!

Last to be introduced is Zanna Roberts, Senior Fashion Editor, veritable no-name, and easily my new reality TV obsession. #1: She’s adorable. #2: She’s British, and this time it’s just a bonus. #3: She will be Nina’s right-hand…woman. #4: Did I mention how adorable she is? Her ideas are a little helpless this episode, but I thnk if she felt more confident to present more of her personal style in the pub then perhaps Nina might take her a little more seriously. Hopelessness aside, I still love her and want practically everything she wears in the episode (note to FabSugar or BareSkinny: start telling me where to find these looks because they’re clearly local to me). At this point we’ve met most of the principal MC staff, so what’s left?

Enter La Nina. She is matchy, yet fabulous and chic-as-hell (definitely wearing Louboutins, of which she reportedly has a gazillion pairs) as she enters the office and the whole place is clearly in a tizzy about the new Fashion Editor. Excitement and nerves run rampant and introductions are amiable, but it isn’t long before opinions clash. The eisting staffers are in for some changes.

Suffice it to say that initial discussion of the show being billed as “The Nina Garcia Show” is mostly incorrect, or at least that’s how things seem from the first episode. Although the first ep centers around her arrival and welcome party during SS09 NY Fashion Week, it should be said that the show is actually about the magazine itself, it’s staff, and three doe-eyed wanna-be’s who will do whatever it takes to land a role at the pub. After the introductions, we move through the first few days for Nina and our interns, with assignments for NYFW being given out. Laughably, DC dislikes being given what she perceives as the least exciting assignement (a photoshoot in-house, as opposed to model interviews backstage at the shows or working closely with the Joanna and Nina). She laments that she’s “starting at the bottom.” Well, that’s where most interns start, honey. This ain’t Teen Vogue; or rather, Teen Vogue isn’t paying MTV to have you as an intern.

All in all, the episode is a somewhat honest depiction of working at a fashion publication. Some moments are a little more The Devil Weaars Prada than others (interns will sob and EICs will dominate), but it warrants a viewing of the second episode. I won’t be anticipating it as much as my weekly dose of The City or ANTM (at least not yet), but I’m excited to watch what happens (even though it’s not on Bravo). Check out the premiere episode here.

Thanks to Racked for the heads-up and thanks to Fancast for hosting the episodes online. I hope they continue to come out early enough for me to review them here first (if they continue to warrant reviewing, I mean). Once I have the fashion info, I’ll post links here. Ciao!