Full Frontal Fashion
Encyclopedia
Full Frontal Fashion is an American
television program
of the 2000s that gives complete coverage of designer fashion show
s and other aspects of the fashion industry. It has aired on a variety of television channel
s and cable network
s, especially those in the New York City
area.
Full Frontal Fashion was co-created in 2000 by fashion television newcomer Robert Verdi
, who also co-hosted it at the time, with the MSG Metro Channels
as its original outlet. Produced in New York
, the show was the first of its kind to air complete coverage of runway fashion shows, bringing the exclusive events into American living rooms. At first it only aired during New York Fashion Week
, but then expanded coverage to other fashion week
s; after a while it aired around-the-clock on MSG's Metro Stories channel during fashion weeks, and then later it became the only programming on Metro Stories — all fashion, all the time. After Metro changed its programming (it would soon fold altogether), Full Frontal resurfaced sporadically on NYC Media Group
's WNYE-TV
, usually during New York Fashion Week. It also sometimes ran on WE: Women's Entertainment
. By 2007, it found a new home on Voom HD's UltraHD
channel, where it once again it became the main programming, airing many times a day around the year. Since the Metro Stories days, the main hosts for the program have been Judy Licht
, well known as a longtime entertainment reporter for New York local television stations WNYW-TV and WABC-TV
, and Christina Ha, formerly of New York 1 News. Lloyd Boston, known for his commentating appearances on The Today Show, sometimes serves as a male correspondent.
At its core, Full Frontal Fashion replays fashion designers' shows unveiling new collections as they happened on the runway
, typically taking place during one of the major fashion week
s. Most shows are covered with cameras trained on the turning point of the catwalk, capturing the runway models as they do their inimitable walks and then focusing a closeup on the clothes themselves, with no audio other than the shows' music. Interviews recorded right after the shows are often included, featuring the designer commenting on what inspired this latest collection and comments from fashion magazine editors and sometimes celebrities. Host Ha usually does stand-up reporting from the fashion week venues, while Licht tends to have more of a studio role, often analyzing a collection with an editor guest. In these latter cases, less of the show being covered is actually seen. Transitions between fashion shows are marked by a distinctive three-note electronic music
clip. By 2007, programming had been tarted up a bit, with "Behind the Label" segments giving historical perspective to certain designers or aspects of the industry, and post-show graphics giving approval ratings from "front row" observers.
Other Full Frontal Fashion instantiations may exist, with different hosts. An apparent example is a Miami edition, with Cindy Taylor
and James Aguiar (known for his rhinestone
-encrusted microphone
). High-profile coverage, such as for the New York Fashion Week for Spring 2008, attracted celebrity host Carmen Electra
.
In January 2009, Full Frontal Fashion disappeared from television in what Mediabistro.com
termed "horrible news". The problem was a complex business fallout between Rainbow Media Holdings, Voom HD Networks and Dish Network
, that resulted in the Voom channels, including UltraHD, being dropped from Cablevision.
In September 2009, the Sundance Channel relaunched the "Full Frontal Fashion brand" as a web presence with some documentary programming. However all of the original show's creators and on-air talent were gone and the relaunch bore little resemblance to the original.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
of the 2000s that gives complete coverage of designer fashion show
Fashion show
A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. This is where the latest fashion trends are made...
s and other aspects of the fashion industry. It has aired on a variety of television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
s and cable network
Cable network
A cable channel is a television channel available via cable television. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, Dish Network and BSkyB...
s, especially those in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area.
Full Frontal Fashion was co-created in 2000 by fashion television newcomer Robert Verdi
Robert Verdi
Robert Verdi is an American TV personality and style expert. He is most noted for hosting a variety of TV programs featuring fashion and interior design.-Early life:...
, who also co-hosted it at the time, with the MSG Metro Channels
MSG Metro Channels
MSG Metro Channels were a series of local-minded New York City cable networks which launched in 1998 and folded in late 2005. Owned by Rainbow Media, the Metro networks were founded as a spinoff of the MSG Sports networks. The network was originally split into three separate channels, MSG Metro...
as its original outlet. Produced in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the show was the first of its kind to air complete coverage of runway fashion shows, bringing the exclusive events into American living rooms. At first it only aired during New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
, but then expanded coverage to other fashion week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
s; after a while it aired around-the-clock on MSG's Metro Stories channel during fashion weeks, and then later it became the only programming on Metro Stories — all fashion, all the time. After Metro changed its programming (it would soon fold altogether), Full Frontal resurfaced sporadically on NYC Media Group
NYC Media Group
NYC Media is the radio, television, and online media network of the City of New York. It oversees four public television channels, two public radio services, and an Internet video on demand service....
's WNYE-TV
WNYE-TV
WNYE-TV, channel 25 is an non-commercial educational, independent television station located in New York City, USA. WNYE-TV is part of the NYC Media Group and has its studios located in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and transmitter at the Conde Nast Building....
, usually during New York Fashion Week. It also sometimes ran on WE: Women's Entertainment
WE: Women's Entertainment
WE tv is an American cable television channel that is marketed towards women. It features some original programming, such as non-fiction talk shows, as well as made-for-TV movies, older feature films, and reruns of TV shows, it also shows art and fashion documentaries and reality series....
. By 2007, it found a new home on Voom HD's UltraHD
UltraHD
Ultra HD was a high definition television channel that caters to the world of fashion, beauty and style. Programming included frequent showing of Full Frontal Fashion, as well as other programs from shopping to cuisine to interior design. It was one of the Voom HD Networks, a division of Rainbow...
channel, where it once again it became the main programming, airing many times a day around the year. Since the Metro Stories days, the main hosts for the program have been Judy Licht
Judy Licht
Judy Licht is an American television and print journalist whose work often focuses on the entertainment and fashion worlds. Born to Bernard and Eleanor Licht of New York, Licht graduated from Connecticut College and received her master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University.For...
, well known as a longtime entertainment reporter for New York local television stations WNYW-TV and WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
, and Christina Ha, formerly of New York 1 News. Lloyd Boston, known for his commentating appearances on The Today Show, sometimes serves as a male correspondent.
At its core, Full Frontal Fashion replays fashion designers' shows unveiling new collections as they happened on the runway
Runway (fashion)
Runway or catwalk describes a narrow, usually flat platform that runs into an auditorium, used by models to demonstrate clothing and accessories during a fashion show In fashion jargon, "what's on the catwalk" or similar phrasing can refer to whatever is new and popular in fashion.- Exclusive...
, typically taking place during one of the major fashion week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
s. Most shows are covered with cameras trained on the turning point of the catwalk, capturing the runway models as they do their inimitable walks and then focusing a closeup on the clothes themselves, with no audio other than the shows' music. Interviews recorded right after the shows are often included, featuring the designer commenting on what inspired this latest collection and comments from fashion magazine editors and sometimes celebrities. Host Ha usually does stand-up reporting from the fashion week venues, while Licht tends to have more of a studio role, often analyzing a collection with an editor guest. In these latter cases, less of the show being covered is actually seen. Transitions between fashion shows are marked by a distinctive three-note electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
clip. By 2007, programming had been tarted up a bit, with "Behind the Label" segments giving historical perspective to certain designers or aspects of the industry, and post-show graphics giving approval ratings from "front row" observers.
Other Full Frontal Fashion instantiations may exist, with different hosts. An apparent example is a Miami edition, with Cindy Taylor
Cindy Taylor
Cindy Taylor is a fashion model, actress and television host. Born in Asunción, Paraguay to a Paraguayan mother, her father was a United States citizen, having relocated the family to Clarksburg, West Virginia immediately after Taylor was born...
and James Aguiar (known for his rhinestone
Rhinestone
A rhinestone or paste or diamante is a diamond simulant made from rock crystal, glass or acrylic.Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine. The availability was greatly increased around 1775 when the Alsatian jeweller Georg Friedrich Strass had the idea to imitate...
-encrusted microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
). High-profile coverage, such as for the New York Fashion Week for Spring 2008, attracted celebrity host Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
.
In January 2009, Full Frontal Fashion disappeared from television in what Mediabistro.com
Mediabistro.com
Mediabistro.com is a Web site that publishes various blogs and job listings for journalists. The site was founded in 1993 by Laurel Touby as "a gathering place for professionals in journalism, publishing and other media-related industries in New York City", mediabistro.com has since grown into an...
termed "horrible news". The problem was a complex business fallout between Rainbow Media Holdings, Voom HD Networks and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
, that resulted in the Voom channels, including UltraHD, being dropped from Cablevision.
In September 2009, the Sundance Channel relaunched the "Full Frontal Fashion brand" as a web presence with some documentary programming. However all of the original show's creators and on-air talent were gone and the relaunch bore little resemblance to the original.