Sundance Channel takes a fresh look at the fashion industry in four all-new specials featuring ELLE Creative Director Joe Zee, beginning with REVEALING EXTRAVAGANCE airing Friday, September 20th at 10 pm ET/PT. In the first installment, Zee examines how an obsession with luxury has become an addiction for modern society. Through a compelling and in-depth investigation of a real life Bling Ring, a gang of high-end thieves ('The Rainbow Girls'), insider interviews and consumer experiments, Zee uncovers what our fixation with luxury brands means.
Accessorized with commentary from a high-end list of fashion contributors including: model, actress and entrepreneur Iman; fashion designers Zac Posen, Narciso Rodriguez and Carolina Herrera; Editorial Director of nymag.com's The Cut Stella Bugbee; models Kiara Kabukuru, China Machado and Andrej Pejic; historians David Eisenbach and Valerie Steele; psychologist April Benson; and luxury market expert Pamela Danziger, the first hour-long special stages three amusing yet revealing social experiments that place subjects at the mercy of luxury items and exposes their impact both physically and emotionally.
"Much like our award-winning series 'Push Girls' reveals what it's like to go through life using a wheelchair and our critically acclaimed series 'The Writers' Room' lifts the curtain on the creative process behind some of the most beloved shows on television, 'Revealing' gets behind the shiny surface of fashion and digs around," said Sarah Barnett,
Sundance Channel President and General Manager. "There is no expert more equipped to peel back a layer of the world of fashion than Joe Zee - we are delighted to continue working with him."
The first of the three social experiments in the all-new special involves a soccer mom ready to trade in her practical clothes for a more couture look, featuring sky-high Louboutins and the obligatory Birkin bag. Will the luxury threads survive the rigors of being worn by a suburban mom? Will she enjoy the perks of being the best-dressed mom in town or pay the price for her updated style? Next, Zee meddles with the minds of shoppers when taking over a designer sample sale and booby-trapping the store with ridiculous fashion items to see how far people will go when it comes to the pressure of staying on trend. Will fashion savvy customers succumb to the power of persuasion when other shoppers try to convince them that a rubber chicken handbag and flip flops lined with grass are the "next big thing?" Finally, Zee uses science to prove or debunk the theory that shopping sends a rush of endorphins to the brain that makes the experience of shopping akin to the highs resulting from cocaine and even sex. In the clinical experiment, three self-admitted fashion addicts are given an EEG cap (Electroencephalography) to monitor brain activity while being released to explore every fashion lover's dream - the Elle Fashion Closet.
Three more specials featuring Joe Zee exploring additional aspects of the fashion world will air in the coming year on
Sundance Channel.
As the creative director for ELLE magazine since 2007, Zee has helped to further elevate the publication into the successful fashion magazine that is today. He began his career at Allure Magazine and from there became the fashion director at W Magazine, then contributing editor for Details and Vanity Fair. He has also been creative eye behind advertising campaigns for brands including DKNY, Perry Ellis, Kenneth Cole, Sean John, Banana Republic, H&M, Estee Lauder, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Chanel, Coty and others.
About
Sundance Channel
Sundance Channel is the destination for What's Next, Now. Showcasing both today's creative icons and the emerging talent of tomorrow,
Sundance Channel tells credible, authentic, and emotionally immersive stories of Invention, Fashion, Film, Travel, Design, and Enterprise. Launched in 1996 and owned and operated by
AMC Networks Inc,
Sundance Channel provides perspectives dedicated to founder Robert Redford's mission to celebrate creativity. sundancechannel.com
About
AMC Networks Inc.
Dedicated to producing quality programming and movie content for more than 30 years,
AMC Networks Inc. owns and operates several of the most popular and award-winning brands in cable television. AMC, IFC,
Sundance Channel, WE tv, and
IFC Films produce and deliver distinctive, compelling and culturally relevant content that engages audiences across multiple platforms. The company also operates AMC/Sundance Channel Global, an international programming business, and
AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology, a full-service network programming feed origination and distribution company.
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