I think we all need a bit of a break from bad news.

When the promoters for Making the Cut, the new Amazon Original series hosted and executive produced by Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, reached out to me to post about the show, I jumped on the chance to cover it.

Making the Cut details

The series premieres on Prime Video on Friday, March 27, 2020. The 10-episode fashion competition brings together a diverse group of 12 entrepreneurs and designers. Two new episodes will be released each Friday, culminating in a finale April 24, 2020.

I remember hearing that Heidi and Tim had a new project, but coronavirus coverage pushed the anticipation from my thoughts. Now I am looking forward to the entertainment this series will offer, including globe-trotting scenery.

Keep coming back to ThreadsMagazine.com for episode recaps. I’ll be covering the whole season.

A series overview from Amazon sources

Making the Cut is the first-ever global and instantly shoppable series. Limited editions of the winning look from each episode will be available for purchase exclusively on Amazon in the Making the Cut store. During the course of the season, those who do not “make the cut” will be eliminated, with the winning designer from the finale receiving $1 million to invest in their brand and the opportunity to create an exclusive line available on Amazon.

The 12 featured designers will visit three of the world’s fashion capitals—New York, Paris, and Toyko—and face challenges and assignments that will test their design skills and their ability to run all aspects of a business. Judging their looks and industry acumen are some of fashion’s most recognizable and influential names, including Naomi Campbell, Nicole Richie, Joseph Altuzarra, Carine Roitfeld and Chiara Ferragni.

The designers

Meet the 12 designers, as described in promotional material supplied by the show’s promoters.

Sander Bos, 24, Hasselt, Belgium: Featuring avant-garde inspired looks, Bos is a young designer who runs his namesake line. Raised in a small town in Belgium, he is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and is eager to make his mark on a global scale.

Rinat Brodach, 35, New York City: Brodach was a fan of fashion from an early age while growing up in Israel and later came to the United States to study design. Her eponymous line features a minimalist chic, gender-free aesthetic, reflecting her own straightforward personality. She recently dressed Billy Porter for the Critics’ Choice Awards. Her designs have also been worn by Laverne Cox and Adam Lambert.

Ji Won Choi, 26, New York City: The Parsons School of Design graduate is a designer of elevated, active streetwear that she sells under her namesake brand and has collaborated with Adidas, with pieces worn by Beyoncé and Kendall Jenner. Born in Seoul, South Korea, raised in Oklahoma, and educated in New York City and Paris, her work is a reflection of how Choi sees herself in the world.

Jasmine Chong, 31, New York City: Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Chong is the owner of her self-titled feminine ready-to-wear line, has previously shown at New York Fashion Week, and her line has been featured in a number of fashion magazines. Inspired by her seamstress grandmother and her fashion designer mother, she is focused on creating beautiful clothing that appeals to all body types.

Jonny Cota, 35, Los Angeles: The self-taught owner of the elevated streetwear brand Skingraft, Cota produces two men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections yearly and has shown five times at New York Fashion Week. In addition, he has dressed celebrities including Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé.

Martha Gottwald, 28, Richmond, Virginia: The Louisiana native and mother of two owns the womenswear brand Neubyrne and has been featured in British Vogue and shown at New York Fashion Week. Like Gottwald, Neubyrne embraces color and whimsy. The survivor of a near fatal car accident that taught her about strength and endurance, she is a relatively new designer who was inspired by artisans she met in Singapore.

Troy Hul Arnold, 34, New York City: An adjunct professor at Parsons, Hul Arnold was born in Trinidad and Tobago before coming to the United States as a child. His brand, Hul Arnold, features minimalist, avant-garde menswear-inspired looks for women; one of his designs was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker on Glee. Hul Arnold takes an artisanal approach to his fashion, and he refers to his pieces as functional sculptures.

Joshua Hupper, 38, Shanghai: Founder of Babyghost, a wildly successful e-commerce fashion brand based in China, Hupper’s designs have been featured in Vogue and on runways around the world. His line features youthful, feminine ready-to-wear fashions for the “mischievous girl.” Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Hupper’s talents were shaped by his artistic upbringing and internships with Diane Von Furstenburg and Thakoon.

Esther Perbandt, 43, Berlin: Founder and namesake Esther Perbandt was born and bred in Berlin, toughened up in Moscow and polished in Paris. Owner of her eponymous line, which features edgy, menswear-inspired separates, Perbandt has created more than 30 collections over the brand’s 15-year existence and has been running her highly successful boutique in Berlin for 10 years. As an artist, she has also collaborated on countless music, film and theater projects.

Will Riddle, 31, New York City: Riddle’s design skills, featuring a modern take on old glamour, have led to a series of impressive jobs, including Atelier Director at Oscar de la Renta, 3.1 Philip Lim, and now men’s designer at Kith. For Riddle, it has been a journey far from growing up in a trailer park in Ohio. With an impressive resume under his belt, Riddle is ready to start his own label.

Sabato Russo, 64, Milan: A seasoned designer with a 25-year career in the industry, Russo is owner of the brand Satorial Monk, which focuses on high-end simplicity. A former model who is able to speak four languages, Russo has a global point of view that is reflected in his sophisticated, timeless looks. Russo is currently working on his “Made in Italy” line called Sabato Russo.

Megan Smith, 38, Los Angeles: Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Smith first discovered her love of fashion design while creating clothes for her Barbie dolls. After designing private labels for several major brands and retailers, Smith branched out and launched her own line, Megan Renee. The response to her first runway show during Los Angeles Fashion Week was so overwhelming, she launched her online boutique to sell her collections to customers worldwide. Her line features feminine, ’70s-inspired cocktail attire.