Next In Fashion’ season 2: Inclusivity and Diversity among the Contestants

Netflix never fails when it comes to providing a variety of interesting and exciting new shows every month. Fans of the reality show “Next In Fashion” were delighted this March when the second season of the series was launched, with an ample representation of minorities in the contestants that was immensely praised.

What is “Next In Fashion”?

Next In Fashion is a Netflix reality show and fashion design competition series hosted by fashion designer Tan France and model Gigi Hadid. Its first season, hosted by France and fellow designer Alexa Chung, followed designers from around the world competing for the chance to win $250,000 and debut a collection on the luxury fashion retailer site Net-a-Porter.

In June 2020, Netflix announced it was canceling the series after one season. However, the show got greenlit again, with Hadid replacing Chung. This season, all of the contestants were from the U.S., and the prize changed as well- now they would have the chance to win $200,000 and launch their collection on RenttheRunway.com, a premier subscription fashion service that enables people to rent designer styles for work, weekends, and events.

Among the celebrity guest judges this season are Donatella Versace, Bella Hadid, Emma Chamberlain, Hailey Bieber, and Oliver Rousteing.

Who are the contestants of the second season of Next In Fashion?

The new season of Next In Fashion showcases the incredible talent of the participants on the show and ignited a conversation about the importance of representation, not only on TV but also in the fashion industry.

1. Amari Carter

Amari comes from a small suburb outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and has always viewed fashion as a means of self-discovery. Growing up, she used “clothes as a way to create an alter ego to feel sexy and powerful.”

The London College of Fashion alumni wants to commemorate the black women in her life through her fashion and give a sense of identity and voice through her designs. Amari is the Associate Designer WTW & Gabrielle Union Collections at New York & Company.

2. Bao Tranchi

Some of Bao’s clients include Jennifer Lopez, Nicki Minaj, and Laverne Cox, and she has worked extensively as a costume designer on films such as “Charlie’s Angels” and “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.” She has even dressed the show’s host Gigi Hadid back in 2015. The common thread running through her designs is an “absolute love and passion for the female body.”

Born in Vietnam, she came to the U.S. with her family when she was just 10 months old, looking for a better life. Bao got her sewing skills from her mother, who used to work in sweatshops in downtown LA. Her body changes during pregnancy inspired Bao’s now-signature curve-enhancing aesthetic.

3. Courtney Smith

From a very young age, Courtney’s sense of style was “shaped by the confident and expressive black women” who raised her in the Bronx. They also taught her to “love and have authority over her body,” which is what she wants people to feel when they wear her clothes.

She is known for plus-size fashion and designs custom plus-size womenswear. Courtney’s brand has been featured on shows like Good Morning America, Nightline, the Melissa Harris-Perry Show, and more. Smith often designs for the “plus girls who want to show out every time they go out.”

4. Danny Godoy

Danny was born in Inglewood, California to Mexican immigrant parents, and developed a sense of style early in life as “one of the many ways to show his creative side.” Danny is also a trained Mexican Folklorico Dancer and kicked off his fashion journey at the age of 15. Godoy has designed outfits for some of the world’s top drag talent, including Naomi Smalls, Kim Chi, Bob the Drag Queen, Raven, and Monét X Change, as he is a drag queen himself.

5. Deontré Hancock

Deontré is a self-taught designer from Washington who “inspired by the city around him, developed an early affinity for streetwear, drawing from fashion trends in the surrounding area.” Hancock “has gained a following for his exaggerated styles of menswear, especially his trademark puffer coats.“

6. Desyrée Nicole

Desyrée hails from Waterford, Michigan, and gave up basketball for fashion. The self-taught designer launched her menswear brand Todd Patrick, named after her little brother. Due to her focus on texture and relaxed silhouettes, her designs have become a favorite among professional athletes.

Desyrée, who is happily engaged to her fiancé Gaby Paulino, works as a wardrobe stylist for athletes in the NFL and NBA.

7. Eliana Batsakis

The Cincinnati-based designer draws inspiration from the imagined lives of the people who wear her clothes and is known for her bold, voluminous garments. Her work is distinguished by imaginative storylines, manipulated textures, vibrant color schemes, and striking shapes influenced by true stories. 

8. James Ford

This female-to-male transgender designer mixes his love for athletics and formal wear. As a former four-sport athlete, he draws inspiration from the “silhouettes, color palettes, construction techniques, and practicality” of sportswear to inform his approach to suits, “bridging dichotomies” of the two with every stitch.

He does not create “your uncle’s obligatory office suits.” Rather, James is concentrating on designing outfits that “stand for something very, very different,” especially in terms of fitting for feminine, trans, and gender-nonconforming bodies.

9. Megan O’Cain

As a child, the Brooklyn-based designer and Parsons School of Design graduate was drawn to “vintage clothes and dressing up,” deconstructing clothes and experimenting with her grandmother’s 1960s designs. Designing “always felt like a way to escape” her worry and allowed her to “create a space for play and possibility.”

10. Nigel Xavier

Atlanta designer Nigel created one-of-a-kind garments that have become favorites among some of the biggest names in music. “As a former high school football player who chose fashion over a career in sports, ‘adapting to and looking at all the different cultures has made him versatile and open-minded.'”

Nigel was born in Venezuela and spent his formative years in the Summerhill Neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, where he enrolled in a fashion design school and earned his degree. His love for vintage clothing and the DIY culture of the ‘90s is reflected in his distinctive patchwork detailing, which has become a signature element of his designs.

11. Qaysean Williams

“Fashion was the very thing that gave me a voice,” said Qaysean, a New Jersey-based designer. He is known as “the one-hand sewing man” for his ability to cut and make apparel and accessories with only one arm, due to Erb’s/Klumpke’s Palsy. Qaysean turned to fashion to hide his disability and founded Manikin Mob, which prioritizes accessibility with adaptive garments that enable everyone to feel “amazing in their own skin.”

“It made me feel like I was worthy enough, powerful enough, beautiful enough, it gave me a reason to love myself for being me,” he said when speaking about fashion. His designs show his androgynous identity, as he never felt represented in the media growing up.

12. Usama Ishtay

Born and raised in Venezuela to Syrian immigrant parents, Usama owned a clothing store and, after moving to Los Angeles in 2015, began studying fashion design, later launching his own company. “His signature piece of clothing is a blue lace-up dress that he designed for rapper Eve.”

His art is “inspired by Arabic and Latino culture,” with the latter lending “a slight beauty queen whiff with a rock and roll and mysticism” to his designs. Usama has dressed celebrities such as Gaby Espino, Greeicy, Karol G, Paulina Rubio, Lele Pons, Thalia, Nikita Dragun, and others.