Amazon Prime Video
Former Project Runway hosts/judges Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn are together again and better than ever on Amazon’s new fashion reality competition series Making the Cut. This new show features 12 designers attempting to build a global brand. In each episode, the designers will create two looks — one “runway” and one “accessible,” i.e. for the fashion civilians out there.
Then the judges — Klum, model Naomi Campbell, media personality Nicole Richie, designer Joseph Altuzarra, fashion editor Carine Roitfeld, and fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni — choose a winner each episode and his or her accessible look will be available to purchase on Amazon’s website. At the end of the show, the winner receives $1 million and a mentorship program with Amazon Fashion.
The first two episodes dropped Friday, March 27 and here’s the information on who won and how to purchase the winning ensembles, but be warned of spoilers ahead for episodes one and two.
Esther Perbandt Won Both of the First Two Competitions
Perbandt is a 43-year-old designer from Berlin, Germany whose styles are fashioned around her time living in Berlin, Paris, and Moscow. She works exclusively in the color black on her personal label, though it would not be shocking if Making the Cut eventually makes her work in some other color.
But in the first two episodes, her signature all-black style wowed the judges and she was declared the winner both times, despite falling very behind in the first episode because the seamstress didn’t complete her dress and she had to sew it herself, something she hadn’t done in 15 years.
But the judges and fellow contestants both loved her. Designer Joshua Hupper called Esther “truly one of the most talented people I’ve ever met” in the premiere episode.
And during her judging panel in the second episode, judge Naomi Campbell said of Esther’s designs, “It’s very empowered, confidence, all the things that we want women to feel and your line was clean. The esthetic, I love the hair, it was elegant and graceful but yet very modern. This is, for me, a perfect example of a new way of couture.”
Nicole Richie also said of Esther, “Your execution is so strong.”
Perbandt’s winning dresses will be available on Amazon’s Making the Cut store and you can also buy items from outside the show on her personal website. Her black dress from the premiere episode is retailing for $64.90 and her vest/pants combo from the second episode is retailing for $54.90 for the vest and $44.90 for the pants.
Ji Won Choi Will Also Sell a Piece
Amazon Prime Video
In the second episode, the judges also declared that designer Ji Won Choi had wowed an audience member who happened to be someone from Amazon Fashion. She “was so taken” by Choi’s white dress that she wanted to also make it available on Amazon.
Choi is a 26-year-old designer from New York City who has already been successfully collaborating with Adidas for several years. Choi’s winning dress is available on Amazon’s Making the Cut Store, retailing for $49.90.
And if you’re worried about either dress only being available in fashion model size, never fear. One of the show’s goals is to design clothing that women or men of almost any size can wear. At the 2020 Television Critics Association winter press tour, Klum and Gunn assured critics that the show will feature models of all sizes and the winning looks will be available “from triple-X small to triple-X large.”
“The wonderful thing about our partnership with Amazon Fashion is Amazon Fashion understands the issues pertaining to size,” said Gunn. “And that’s why the clothes from Making the Cut that will be available on Amazon Fashion will cover that very diverse range.”
They also said that the aim is to have every “accessible” look be under $100.
Making the Cut will drop two new episodes every Friday until the finale is released on April 24.