Upfronts 2012: Style Announces Series With Betsey Johnson, Bill Rancic

Network will increase original programming by 25%

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/18/2012 12:04:06 PM

Complete Coverage: Upfronts 2012

New York -- Style Media will increase its original programming by 25% with five new series premiering in 2012 and six series in development, the network announced at its upfront presentation here Wednesday morning.

Headlining the new series is a project with fashion designer Betsey Johnson and her daughter titled Betsey + Lulu. The docuseries is produced by Magical Elves, the network's first project with the Project Runway production company, and explores the mother-daughter relationship of the two fashion designers.

Style has two spinoff series in Ultimate Home With Bill Rancic, which features the Giuliana & Bill star in an aspirational home makeover series, and Chicagolicious, from the creator of the net's Jerseylicious, which follows the owner and staff of a high-end Chicago salon.

Also on tap is Empire Girls: Julissa & Adrienne, which follows two best friends as they seek to succeed in show business in New York City and Party Fabulous Vegas follows the staff of a high-end event-planning business in Las Vegas.

In development, the network has series with Cat Deeley and Kimora Lee Simmons. The Cat Deeley Celebrity Project has the So You Think You Can Dance host tour the homes of stars while the staff of Simmons' online shoe/fashion service Justfab.com is the focus of House of Fab.

Also in development is Built, about a Manhattan home remodeling service staffed exclusively with male models; Celebrity Closet Confidential, which has stylist Mary Alice Haney create a new look for a different star each week; Absolutely MARvelous,  which follows Mar Romero and the staff of her high-end hair and makeup styling company; and Pop Style, a topical weekly series spotlighting the latest in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and pop culture.

Style will also have new seasons of returning series Tia & Tamera and Glam Fairy.

This summer, the network will unveil a rebrand with a new tagline, logo, Website and on-air look that will launch in June or July. The goal is to redefine Style's category to that of "stylish living," expanding beyond just fashion and beauty to include series around categories like home design, travel and food, according to Salaam Coleman Smith, president of Style Media.

Style held its breakfast upfront at the DVF Studio in New York's Meatpacking District, with NBCUniversal brass like Frances Berwick, Lauren Zalaznick and Linda Yaccarino in attendance.