In 2020, Amazon launched a fashion-focused TV series that took two of the most familiar hosts from Project Runway — Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum, who have been captivating audiences since 2004 — for a new design competition. Fast-forward two years later, and Making the Cut is the most compelling fashion competition series today.
It may look glamorous, but the series is hard work, for sure. We see designers inspired, missing family, and breaking down after designing an entire collection in seven days. There are sewing mishaps, fabrics that fail, and all-around rushed designs in attempts to win the coveted prize. With tough judges (see Jeremy Scott cussing out one designer in the trailer), it’s also about friendship, pushing yourself to the limit, and the sincere mentorship offered by Gunn, who tells designers to “make it work.”
What makes it different, beyond watching designers get snipped from each episode, is that you can shop the looks on Amazon’s Making the Cut online shop — right after we see the looks on-screen. The winning look from each episode — as we watch 10 designers compete for $1 million to invest in their fashion brand — is available to buy instantly. The final winner, who will create an exclusive line available on Amazon Fashion, will be announced in the season finale.
The show is also a bit of a travel dream for fashionistas, as it has brought us to the streets of fashion capitals Paris, New York, and Tokyo. Now, for the third season, the show brings us to Los Angeles, as it’s inspired by Rodeo Drive. The returning judges include House of Harlow founder Nicole Richie, Moschino designer Jeremy Scott, and guest judges Chloe x Halle, stylist Jason Bolden, and TikToker Wisdom Kaye.
This season’s designers are all over the map, from Markantoine Lynch-Boisvert, a streetwear designer from Montreal, to Brazilian couture designer Rafael Chaouiche and Chinese designer Sienna Li. Gunn and Klum say that designers have to have a vision, a distinct point of view, and that they have to “cut through the noise.” But what does that mean, exactly? Klum and Gunn talk to Shondaland about their 18-year friendship and why criticism isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
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NADJA SAYEJ: How excited are you for this season of Making the Cut?
HEIDI KLUM: I was so happy to be reunited with Tim, Nicole, and Jeremy as we searched for the next great global fashion brand among our most talented group of designers yet! This season’s fashion far exceeded our expectations, and there are so many amazing looks that I cannot wait to wear myself.
TIM GUNN: After watching the success of our past designers, including winners Andrea Pitter and Jonny Cota, I am tremendously excited for fans to see what this season’s enormously talented group of designers had in store.
NS: This show is about friendship. What can you say about your own friendship and how it has evolved since you started Making the Cut in 2020?
HK: We fell in love with each other from the very first moment of meeting each other! I remember I met Tim — he gave me his office. I remember hanging my looks from the season in his bathroom; [there’s] a shower, you step into the bathtub, and I used the shower curtain as a closet for my clothes. That was my rack! We have been in love ever since! I always say we’re the oldest married couple in 18 years, ever. We learned a lot about each other along the way — what works, what doesn’t work, and how we can evolve, especially from the TV show we did before [Project Runway]. And that’s the thing — we wanted to do things differently with Making the Cut.
NS: Why did you want to make this show, Making the Cut?
HK: We didn’t want to make it a sewing competition. We wanted to make it a fashion competition to find a real brand that can sustain, and we found the most amazing partner in Amazon. Now, we have a full-circle show where we get to see the ideas of garments, how clothes are being made, have fun watching it, how it all comes together, and how there’s an amazing winning look at the end of each episode. And it’s a look that people can buy. We never had this before, and that’s what has been the most fun part! Everyone can get something out of it — the viewer, the customer, and especially the designers. They can make something and make money because they are selling the clothes.
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn attend the Amazon Prime Video 2018 Emmy Awards party at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood, California.
NS: What are your thoughts around that, Tim?
TG: In terms of conceiving Making the Cut and going to this show from Project Runway, Heidi and I wanted to do things together. In the former show, we were rarely together, to be honest. We had such different roles. So, here on Making the Cut, we wanted to really be a team — which we are. We have selected people who had personality, who had a clear point of view. So, it’s about the next great brand. At the same time, you don’t know what’s going to happen. Things develop organically.
NS: When the competition really heats up, how do you know if you’ve pushed designers too far? In the trailer, we see one designer in tears. Why is tough love important on Making the Cut?
HK: Hmm, I don’t think we are super-tough. I have heard way worse things said to me or even about other fashion designers. We are criticizing, but I don’t think we are being that harsh. I’ve seen and heard way worse things. In order to tell people that you don’t like something, you have to sometimes explain the why factor — why you don’t like something — and sometimes, people find it hard to hear that. I always try to express why I don’t like something. Some can just easily say, “Oh, I don’t like it.” But why? I try to explain to the designers, along with our jury, why we don’t like something so they understand why we didn’t pick it as a winning look.
NS: Why is that important to you?
HK: We get seen in over 200 countries around the world. Those countries are shopping for that winning look, so it has to resonate with all of those people. It can’t be a throwaway piece because we’re not making clothes here; we’re making fashion. This is not about T-shirts and jeans, and if it is, that shirt better be singing and dancing! And if it isn’t, I have to tell them that, you know?
TG: I don’t believe the tears are a response to the criticism being harsh. I think it’s a general disappointment about “Oh, my time here is over,” and the tears fall.
Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Joseph Altuzarra, Nicole Richie, and Naomi Campbell attend the Amazon Studios 2020 Winter TCA Press Tour in Pasadena, California.
NS: What makes it so hard for the designers on the show?
HK: Every day, we shoot. I get to go home after a shoot and see my family, [and] they are still there, so they are in a pressure cooker, which is very hard to do. A lot of them leave their families behind. Sometimes, they look around at the work they see the other designers are making, and that also makes them a little bit sad. So, it’s not necessarily us and what we’re saying.
NS: Why is risk-taking so important in fashion today?
TG: I have found the only way to move forward in life is to take risks. Otherwise, you’re just treading water. The thing about risk is, it’s a risk. It isn’t a safety net. It’s the only way we can get out of our comfort zone. Many designers have told us: “Taking that risk was the best thing I’ve done because it changed how I look at my own work.” That’s music to my ears.
NS: What do you love about hosting this TV show?
HK: Amazon gave us the freedom to be more creative. Before, our hands were more tied. I really wanted to change things up. It’s more unpredictable, it’s fresher, and as a result, it’s more real. We had to have designers understand this is a real competition and a $1 million prize pack at the end.
NS: What is the key to winning Making the Cut?
HK: We always say that on the show: “You have to cut through the noise.” Being a successful designer is not easy. We’re looking for a global brand that will be shipped around the world. You must feel fulfilled in your heart with what you are doing. And if you’re a creator, you have to always create. Hopefully, for the designers who appear on the show, we can showcase their talents, and hopefully people fall in love with them, even if they’re not the winning designer.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Nadja Sayej is an arts and culture journalist based in New York City who has written 5 books, including Biennale Bitch and The Celebrity Interview Book.
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