Who Will Make THE CUT?
August 27 2004 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Who Will Make THE CUT? CBS Announces New Reality Series With
Fashion Industry Icon Tommy Hilfiger to Find America's Fashion
Trendsetter of Tomorrow NEW YORK, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
CBS announced today a new reality series, THE CUT (working title),
with fashion guru Tommy Hilfiger that will pit 16 style-savvy
contestants against each other in a competition to find America's
fashion trendsetter of tomorrow. Hilfiger will host the series and
ultimately mentor the winner who will be awarded the opportunity to
design his or her own collection under the Tommy Hilfiger label and
become the next great American designer. The 13-episode mid-season
series comes to CBS from Lions Gate Television and Pilgrim Films
and Television. Craig Piligian will executive produce. The
competitors will need to show their unique sense of style and
creativity to prove they have the necessary tools to survive and
succeed in the high-stakes fashion industry. Living together in a
loft in Soho, New York, the aspiring designers will be given real
fashion world challenges that will test their talent, business
acumen, sales and marketing expertise, resourcefulness and style
IQs. Each week, Hilfiger and his "Style Council," which will
consist of guest advisors, will rate the hopefuls on their results
and cut one contestant. "The road to success is not easy to
navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it's possible to
achieve the American dream," said Tommy Hilfiger. "THE CUT is going
to give someone the opportunity of a lifetime and help that person
achieve his or her dreams." "What will make THE CUT special is the
involvement of Tommy Hilfiger. He's a cutting-edge designer who,
for the first time, will bring his All- American style to network
television and provide a fantastic environment for the participants
to realize their artistic dreams and visions," said Nancy Tellem,
President, CBS Entertainment. "We believe that this concept,
packaged in the popular reality format, will create a program with
broad appeal to viewers and numerous opportunities for
advertisers." "A series like THE CUT that encompasses the worlds of
fashion, art, music and entertainment with a phenomenal brand
creator like Tommy Hilfiger represents the next level of reality
programming," said Kevin Beggs, President of Programming &
Production, Lions Gate Television. "We are thrilled that CBS is our
network home and can't wait to get started." "We created THE CUT
with Tommy Hilfiger specifically in mind and are delighted to be
moving forward on this exciting new series," said Craig Piligian.
"Tommy is an icon to every aspiring fashion designer and each of
our contestants is in for an extraordinary experience." An arbiter
of style, Tommy Hilfiger launched his first signature Menswear
collection in 1984 with his updated take on button-down shirts,
chinos and other classics, which immediately struck a chord with
consumers. Now, the brand is one of the most recognizable labels in
the world. From clothing and home collections to fragrances and
eyewear, Hilfiger's products generate approximately $3.5 billion in
annual worldwide retail sales. With music, art and pop culture as
his inspirations, Hilfiger's designs resonate with a wide audience
around the globe. Hilfiger is the recipient of many fashion
industry awards, including "Designer of the Year" by Parsons School
of Design and GQ, "Menswear Designer of the Year" by the Council of
Fashion Designers of America, "From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk
Award" by VH1 and several FiFi awards, the fragrance industry's
most illustrious honor. In 2002, the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (D.A.R.E.) organization presented Hilfiger with the
"Future of America Award," D.A.R.E.'s highest honor, for his
philanthropic efforts for America's youth. He is also on the Board
of Directors for the Fresh Air Fund and the Race to Erase MS. Craig
Piligian was the co-executive producer on "Survivor," "Survivor:
The Australian Outback" and "Survivor: Africa." He is the creator
and executive producer of "American Chopper," "American Hotrod" and
"American Casino," among other productions. THE CUT will be
produced by Lions Gate Television in association with Pilgrim Films
and Television. Joining Piligian as executive producer is Darren
Maddern, who created the series with Piligian. Also executive
producing is Peter Connolly, President of Worldwide Marketing for
Hilfiger. Alan David, Piligian's manager and partner, and Eli
Frankel will serve as co- executive producers. Applications for THE
CUT are now available on the CBS website, http://www.cbs.com/. For
additional information, go to http://www.tommy.com/. DATASOURCE:
Tommy Hilfiger CONTACT: Lauri Metrose, +1-323-575-2793, , Beth
Stoller-Feldman, +1-212-975-3183, , or Phoebe Glassner,
+1-212-975-3148, , all of CBS; or Caren Bell of Tommy Hilfiger,
+1-212-548-1823; or Leah Krantzler of Lions Gate Television,
+1-323-965-1990, Web site: http://www.tommy.com/
http://www.cbs.com/
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