Fashion journalist Louise Roe acts as host on this design competition series on which 13 designers vie for a multimillion-dollar contract to launch their line in stores across the country by showcasing their creations and proving their business savvy. In each episode, the fashion buyers, from Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Express, who serve as judges, get the opportunity to purchase work from the up-and-comers, with the winning items being available to the public to purchase online immediately and in the company's stores the following day. The designers who don't sell their items to the buyers are put up for elimination, but one designer can be saved from the chopping block by celebrity mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos.