Stacy London is the kind of person who will notice and then tell you if your outfit is ugly, and that’s why we love her. The former host of TLC’s hit makeover series “What Not to Wear,” which ended its 10 year run in early 2013, is back at it again with another reality show called “Love, Lust or Run.”
The new series is a makeunder show in which London helps fashion disasters revamp their look. Similar to “What Not to Wear,” “Love, Lust or Run” aims to help build people’s self-esteem through the lens of style, something London has built a career doing.
Before the premiere, which happens on Friday Jan. 23 at 9/8c on TLC we decided to chat with London about how she’s made a name for herself on the small screen, who she trusts in the dressing room and her thoughts on ageism in the industry. Here’s what we learned:
HuffPost Style: We’re so excited for your new show! Can you tell us how “Love, Lust or Run” is different from “What Not to Wear”?
Stacy London: It’s different for a couple of reasons. One, it’s not as long, it’s not as in-depth — it’s a half-hour show but it’s much more about extremes than “What Not to Wear” was. I worked mostly with women in their twenties, a couple in their early thirties and now I’m obviously in a different phase of my life than when I started “What Not to Wear”. I’m a woman of experience and in the midst of a middle-aged renaissance, as I like to call. I feel much more [like] a mentor to these women and one of the things that I felt very strongly about, especially since I don’t have a co-host, [is] that I’m not out to change them. I don’t want them to blend in, they aren’t necessarily meant to look conventional. But the idea is that the way that they are dressing is so extreme that when we go out into public and ask just a cross-section of people what they think, whether they love the look, or lust after it or want to run, there is a complete disconnect between the way the general public sees these people and the way they see themselves. And it’s not that I care what strangers think — it’s not like they have an impact on your life. What’s really important is if there is a disconnect between what you think you’re putting out into the world and what the world is actually getting from you, because that’s going to get in the way of what you want. If you think you are putting off this really powerful, can-do, ambitious and confident kind of style, and people think you look insane, you’re going to have a tough time getting the job that you want or getting where you want to go in life.
HPS: Clearly you’ve really found your stride on TV. In your opinion, what makes someone great on unscripted television?
SL: I think you have to be able to talk a lot. I think you have to be a motor mouth — being able to ad-lib, being a conversationalist. I don’t think you need improv skills, but I do think being able to listen, I mean really listen, and forget that there are cameras involved and that you…
