Making The Cut is a fashion-centric reality show brought together by Amazon where designers from all over the world compete for a million-dollar cash injection into their business and a spot on the Amazon Fashion storefront. 

Also, by just being on the show, the designers get massive recognition, much like the pitches in Shark Tank. Viewers can also purchase the winning design from each challenge through Amazon’s Making The Cut store.

The designs are made available immediately after the episode. But most importantly, the designs can be purchased for $100 or less!

After a successful pilot on Amazon’s streaming platform, the show is back with a second season with a few minor adjustments made here and there, both as a part of the show’s evolution and to accommodate for the global pandemic.

The Pilot Season

The first season of what is considered "the most ambitious and grandest-scale fashion competition in the reality TV" genre was shot on runways all over the world. The designs were featured in New York, Paris, and Tokyo. 

The pilot episode was shot on a runway in front of the Eiffel Tower. The scene was so cinematic that one of the show's hosts, Heidi Klum, confessed to The Daily Beast that she thought people would assume the shot was computer-generated. 

The first season, which aired in 2020, was received by an audience trapped in their homes because of the pandemic, turning the show into a borderline escapist fantasy where travel and glamour were possible again. 

The 12 competing designers, who were all established in their own right, were subjected to constructive criticism by a mega-talented panel, including judges Naomi Campbell, Nicole Richie, Carine Roitfeld, and Joseph Altuzarra.

Dealing With Difficult Times

While viewers around the globe were given an escape from the comfort of their living rooms, the production crew was dealing with a different challenge altogether. 

Klum's co-host in both Project Runway and Making the Cut, Tim Gunn, was under the impression that travel was the highlight of the first season. But they could not do that in the new season because of the pandemic. 

Instead, they had to settle with "Groundhog Day" and shoot every assignment and fashion show in the same setting. 

In what became the most hardcore application of his catchphrase, Gunn told The Daily Beast, “It was the ultimate exercise in ‘make it work.’”

A Few Changes Were Made

Despite Gunn's concerns, the production team put together a stunning "fashion bubble" at an event venue in Malibu for season 2. The venue that would have otherwise been used for weddings was transformed to accommodate the show. 

Pandemic protocols also limited the panel of judges down to two members: celebrity designer Jeremy Scott and model Winnie Harlow. In addition, Elle reported that Prabal Gurung and Shiona Turini would also make appearances as guest hosts. 

Also noteworthy, this year's roster lists only ten contestants, unlike last season's twelve. All that being said, the primary appeal of the show, at least to the contestants, remains.

They still stand a chance to win the same prizes as last year. And as for the audience, the second season is no world tour, but rest assured, the Malibu venue is a world of its own.