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With 'OMG Fashun,' Julia Fox and Law Roach bring sustainable, daring style to reality TV

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With 'OMG Fashun,' Julia Fox and Law Roach bring sustainable, daring style to reality TV

With the years-long success of series like “Project Runway” and “America’s Next Top Model,” fashion competition reality TV shows are nothing new. But “OMG Fashun” is a different type of series ripe for short attention spans and a style-savvy generation more attuned to the concerns about the environment.

“There’s so many awful things happening in the world,” says Julia Fox, the show’s co-host, over the phone from New Mexico, where she’s in production for a movie. “And this isn’t one of them.”

“OMG Fashun,” which premiered May 6 on E! and airs weekly at 9 p.m. Pacific, is a thrilling reality competition series hosted by Fox, fashion’s “It” girl and cultural renegade, and celebrity stylist Law Roach. The show brings sustainable fashion to the forefront with quickfire competitions and a rotation of guest judges that includes Phaedra Parks of “Real Housewives” fame, “13 Reasons Why” star Tommy Dorfman and more.

But “OMG Fashun” opts for snackable episodes primed for the TikTok generation — roughly 20 minutes each — that feature three rising “fashion disruptors” competing in two separate challenges. The catch? They’re encouraged to use sustainable, upcycled — and often — unconventional materials like insects and condoms. It’s chaotic — and that’s the point.

Behind the series is Scout Productions, known for reality shows like “Queer Eye,” “Legendary” and “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning,” a company with decades of experience in the reality competition space. After producing the two-season streetwear competition series “The Hype,” Scout Productions co-founder David Collins and Chief Creative Officer Rob Eric were asked by their agent if they wanted to chat with Fox. A 15-minute conversation turned into an hour-long one.

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Model Wisdom Kaye, left, a guest judge on “OMG Fashun” with hosts Julia Fox and Law Roach.

(Quantrell Colbert/E! Entertainment)

“She brought this originality to how we look at fashion, how we look at ourselves in fashion, what fashion actually is,” Eric says in an interview alongside Collins over Zoom. “That it doesn’t need to be a $40,000 outfit, but it actually could be leaves that she found in a park.” That sparked the idea for “OMG Fashun.” He added, “We thought, ‘Oh, what would it be like if we could take 90 minutes of ‘Project Runway,’ mix with ‘The Hype’ chopped into it, and put it into a 21-minute show?’

Eric and Collins, who executive produced the series, were in constant awe of how Fox, 34, made her mark in the fashion world with an unwavering sense of authenticity. “She wore a dress made of condoms. She wore a dress made of ties. All [the] sustainable stuff that she was doing, and it kept getting put into TMZ, WWD and Elle magazine. We knew that Julia had that voice,” Eric says.

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Reality TV came naturally for Fox, whose prior credits have been in film. After all, she’s used to doing “new stuff.” However, it was admittedly “more work than acting” for her because whole episodes had to be shot in a day.

“It was a lot of outfit changes, a lot of time in hair and makeup, super early call time, ending super late at night,” she says.

But Fox seemingly made it look easy. Collins says everyone was “slack-jawed” from the second she sat down on the stage despite never having starred on a TV show before. “We’re like, ‘What? We’re not having to prompt her, tell her, and remind her?’ She just killed it over, over and over again,” he says.

Roach, 45, who was recruited by Scout Productions after working on “Legendary,” was intrigued by the premise of “OMG Fashun” — highlighting emerging designers and sustainability. Fox also had wanted to work with the stylist for a while. “We both had admiration for each other’s work and the things that she wore. I think her stylist is incredible,” he says over the phone from Los Angeles.

The pair ultimately had a “fun” dynamic, he says, since Fox “doesn’t take herself seriously at all.”

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“She gave me so much agency to poke fun at her and she did the same to me,” Roach says. “She’d create this really fun and friendly and kooky work environment, so it was great. It made me excited to go to work every day and to see what she was going to wear because we didn’t share outfits.”

A woman in a halter top and miniskirt adorned with knickknacks holds a drawer on her head.

Julia Fox modeling a design on “OMG Fashun.”

(Quantrell Colbert/E! Entertainment)

While Fox and Roach had fun with their roles on the show, the talent was nothing to mock. “These young designers had these incredible gifts and ideas of how to take discarded materials and turn them into wearable works of art,” he says.

So “OMG Fashun” doesn’t just want to be another fashion show. “We’ve seen other shows that have a component where there’s a challenge where they’re instructed to create a garment out of recycled materials or upcycling or discarded fabrics,” Roach says. “But this one, the entire show is based on that principle.”

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Fox often struggled to choose a winner because she was in such awe of the designers’ talents. In the nature challenge, for instance, she had to stop filming because she couldn’t decide between the contestants. Luckily, Fox is keen on wearing their designs whether they take home the top prize or not on “OMG Fashun.” “I did wear one of the outfits [from the show] during the press tour — the little black blazer with the underwear bottoms with the metal utensils on them, nail clippers, nail files and forks,” she said. She’s also kept in touch with many of the contestants too.

Amid the release of “OMG Fashun,” Roach made headlines for the “tenniscore” ensembles he helped architect for Zendaya and the hashtag he started — #TashiMadeMeWearIt — amid the “Challengers” press tour.

“Just to see people participate in tenniscore and going out in groups and dressing in this way, that’s the most heartwarming and incredible thing. I’m like, ‘This might be cool to give people this challenge to go out and to create these looks,’ he says.

Fox also admired how Zendaya’s looks were playful nods to the film and its themes. “It was definitely giving ‘OMG Fashun’ for sure,” she says.

With Fox’s presence on “OMG Fashun” and her affinity for daring looks, is a fashion line in her future? Not exactly.

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Three people standing near the runway.

“OMG Fashun” contestants Katya Lee, Chelsea Billingsley and Bradley Callahan.

(Quantrell Colbert/E! Entertainment)

“Is that really what this planet needs — another fashion line? Like, I’d rather prop up kids that are doing it and salute them for their efforts and call it a day,” she says. Fox also would rather rely on someone else’s talents: “Why would I want to do it myself when I could have someone else do it for me?”

Should “OMG Fashun” get another season, the co-hosts already know who they’d love to see as guest judges. Roach wants John Galliano, Grace Jones, Naomi Campbell or RuPaul on. Fox, on the other hand, wants to recruit Doja Cat, Dennis Rodman, Gwen Stefani or Lil’ Kim. “I love accidental-like fashion icons,” she says. “People that didn’t really set out or try but became [them].”

Ultimately, the hope is that viewers watching will shift their perspective on fashion. Fox wants people to “dig a little deeper” and “look inward.”

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Roach adds, “We’ve gotten into this culture of once you have something, you post it on social media that it has to be discarded, you can never wear it again. I challenge people to reinvent the clothes that they already have and the way they’ve worn them. If you like it, buy it. If you love it, live in it.”

Entertainment

‘Clayface’ trailer teases DC Studios’ first proper horror movie

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‘Clayface’ trailer teases DC Studios’ first proper horror movie

The DC universe is going full on body horror.

DC Studios released its first trailer for “Clayface” on Wednesday, giving audiences a glimpse of the gruesome origins of the shape-shifting Batman villain.

Set to an eerie rendition of the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??,” the teaser flashes among various images of up-and-coming Hollywood actor Matt Hagen (portrayed by Tom Rhys Harries) before and after a violent encounter as the camera slowly zooms toward his haunted eyes and bloody, bandaged face as he is recovering on a hospital bed.

The clip also includes footage of Hagen’s clay-like, malleable face, which he appears to gain after some sort of scientific procedure.

According to the DC description, “Clayface” will see Hagen transformed into a “revenge-filled monster” and explore “the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and the dark underbelly of scientific ambition.”

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“Clayface,” set for an Oct. 23 release, will be the third DCU film to hit theaters since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios and reset (most of) its comic book superhero franchise. The studio’s upcoming slate also includes “Supergirl,” which will hit theaters June 26, as well as “Man of Tomorrow,” the sequel to Gunn’s 2025 blockbuster “Superman,” announced for 2027.

Who is Clayface?

Clayface is a DC Comics villain usually affiliated with Batman. The alias has been used by a number of different characters over the years, but they all usually possess shape-shifting abilities due to their clay-like bodies. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, the original Clayface was a washed-up actor turned criminal who first appeared in a 1940 issue of “Detective Comics.”

Matt Hagen was the name of the second Clayface, who first appeared in an issue of “Detective Comics” in the 1960s. He was the first to have shape-shifting powers, which he gained after encountering a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm.

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Other versions of Clayface have been introduced in various media since.

Who is in ‘Clayface’?

The upcoming film stars Tom Rhys Harries as rising Hollywood actor Hagen. The cast also includes Naomi Ackie, who is seen in the trailer, reportedly as the scientist Hagen turns to for help following his disfigurement. Also set to appear are David Dencik, Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan, as well as Nancy Carroll and Joshua James.

Who are the ‘Clayface’ filmmakers?

Director James Watkins, known for horror films including “Speak No Evil” (2024), is helming “Clayface.” The script was written by prolific horror scribe Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Doctor Sleep”) and Hossein Amini (“The Snowman”).

The producers are Matt Reeves, Lynn Harris, James Gunn and Peter Safran. Exective producers include Michael E. Uslan, Rafi Crohn, Paul Ritchie, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars P. Winther.

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Miyamoto says he was surprised Mario Galaxy Movie reviews were even harsher than the first | VGC

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Miyamoto says he was surprised Mario Galaxy Movie reviews were even harsher than the first | VGC

Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto says he’s surprised at the negative critical reception to the Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

As reported by Famitsu, Miyamoto conducted a group interview with Japanese media to mark the local release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

During the interview, Miyamoto was asked for his views on the critical reception to the film in the West, where critics’ reviews have been mostly negative.

Miyamoto replied that while he understood some of the negative points aimed at The Super Mario Bros Movie, he thought the reception would be better for the sequel.

“It’s true: the situation is indeed very similar,” he said. “Actually, regarding the previous film, I felt that the critics’ opinions did hold some validity. “However, I thought things would be different this time around—only to find that the criticism is even harsher than it was before.

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“It really is quite baffling: here we are—having crossed over from a different field—working hard with the specific aim of helping to revitalize the film industry, yet the very people who ought to be championing that cause seem to be the ones taking a passive stance.”

As was the case with the first film, opinion is divided between critics and the public on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. On review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently has a critics’ score of 43% , while its audience score is 89%.

Shigeru Miyamoto says he was surprised by Mario Galaxy Movie reviews.

While this is down from the first film’s scores (which were 59% critics and 95% public) it does still appear to imply that the film’s target audience is generally enjoying it despite critical negativity.

The negative reception is unlikely to bother Universal and Illumination too much, considering the film currently has a global box office of $752 million before even releasing in Japan, meaning a $1 billion global gross is becoming increasingly likely.

Elsewhere in the interview, Miyamoto said he hoped the film would perform well in Japan, especially because it has a unique script rather than a simple localization as in other regions.

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“The Japanese version is a bit unique,” he said. “Normally, we create an English version and then localize it for each country, but for the first film, we developed the English and Japanese scripts simultaneously. For this film, we didn’t simply localize the completed English version – instead, we rewrote it entirely in Japanese to create a special Japanese version.

“So, if this doesn’t become a hit in Japan, I feel a sense of pressure – as the person in charge of the Japanese version – to not let [Illumination CEO and film co-producer] Chris [Meledandri] down.

“However, judging by the reactions of the audience members who’ve seen it, I feel that Mario fans are really embracing it. I also believe we’ve created a film that people can enjoy even if they haven’t seen the previous one, so I’m hopeful about that as well.”