Celebrity Style Story: New E! TV show looks back on stars fashion - toronto.com

By Emily Jackson
Staff Reporter
Jul 01, 2012

If you’ve ever flipped through a stack of dated tabloids to play fashion police, E! Entertainment Television Canada’s new show might suck you in.

Celebrity Style Story looks back at megastars’ wardrobe hits, misses and malfunctions throughout the years, with commentary from Canadian fashionistas, including Elle Canada’s editor-in-chief Noreen Flanagan, designers Lucian Matis and Shawn Hewson, and hairstylist Matthew Collins.

The 60-episode show marks E!’s first shot at producing a lengthy original series in Canada, albeit using content available from its U.S. counterpart, said Neil Staite, Bell Media’s music and entertainment vice-president and general manager.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to produce content that features Canadian stars and Canadian comments,” Staite said.

The premiere tells the story of Jennifer Lopez’s transformation from Bronx girl to Hollywood idol. And yes, plenty of attention is paid to her barely there Versace dress.

So was J. Lo’s style hot or not?

Designer Hewson, a former Project Runway Canada judge, thinks yes. He decided to comment for the show because it’s expository rather than critical of a person’s style.

“It’s neat to profile any celebrity over the years, but to do it with a focus on style is unique,” Hewson said. “We have style experts from diverse backgrounds, so everyone has their own opinion â€" it makes for some good TV.”

For hairstylist Collins, who creates looks for fashion weeks and the red carpet, the show is a chance to learn about how pop culture affects society over time.

“Before I do a show, I do hours and hours of research and watch every YouTube bio imaginable,” he said. His favourite celebrities to study were Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who he says have never had a bad look.

“They’ve kind of had it going since they were 1. Every kid wanted their styles: a pony, pigtails, little braids,” he said.

While the Lopez episode relies on previously seen video, others will have new footage of celebrities.

Other targets include Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé and Demi Moore. For Canadian content, wait for the Ryan Gosling, Kim Cattrall and Justin Bieber episodes.

There’s a constant demand for entertainment content, Staite said, and it is important to view some through a Canadian filter. The show was able to nab Canadian fashion experts for the panel because “everyone likes to have an opinion.”

The premise of the show is simple, quick and appealing to everyone, he added.

“It’s an easy show to watch, it’s a show you can leave on while you’re cooking dinner.”

The mini-documentary style series will air Sunday nights immediately after popular shows Keeping up with the Kardashians and Mrs. Eastwood and Company.

“We see a show like this really fitting in as a great little 30 minute drop-in where you can see everything you wanted to know from J. Lo from a style point of view.”

In the past year, E! has started to build up in-house production, Staite said. There are no current plans for another long original series, but he added that as the network’s brand evolves it is always looking for ideas.

The show premieres on Sunday at 10:30 p.m.