Who Will Make THE CUT?

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/