Logo TV is premiering two series this month geared towards making people’s lives a lot more fabulous.
“Secret Guide to Fabulous” is returning for its second season of turning people’s lives from ordinary to extraordinary with the coordinated help of fashion and style expert Rob Younkers, design guru John Gidding and entertainment aficionado Theodore Leaf.
Younkers said this season will have the experts focusing more on their subjects instead of doing a creative drive-by on their lives.
“This season is different,” Younkers said. “We get to work with people the entire episode, whereas last season we had a couple minutes with people here and there but it wasn’t a lot of time spent with one person or any couple. So that is going to be great this season. We had a chance to really bond.”
Subjects on the show often ask for help getting themselves spruced up for a special occasion but Younkers said the experts’ advice usually carries on past that event.
“The premise of the show is people wanted to prepare for an event,” he said. “But what ends up happening is that we make changes in their lives that they carry forward. For example, the way I dress somebody, they would say, ‘Wow! This is great for this party. I want to update my entire wardrobe now.’ So that’s a fun part of the project, to have that influence.”
Younkers said some of the challenges he and the other experts face come from trying to make over people who are set in their ways.
“I think everybody is a bit stubborn. People are comfortable with their own style and the way they dress. So when you start putting people in things they have never worn or tried before, it takes a minute. It takes a lot of trust as well. We did an episode this season where a guy lost 30 pounds and he was still dressing for his old body. I just went through the same transformation, so I could relate to him. I knew how he felt with his new body so that’s what we worked on.”
One misconception Younkers would like to dispel about what he does is that it takes a lot of disposable income to upgrade and change your style for the better.
“I’ll tell you the truth, I’m one of the cheapest people you will meet when it comes to shopping,” he said. “I think it’s about mixing high and low. So you buy a great, inexpensive T-shirt with a designer pair of jeans. For women, you have a great handbag and dress and separates that are inexpensive. You can definitely do upgrades to your life on a budget.”
Younker said that, while you don’t necessarily need a fashion or design expert to help you with your style, it doesn’t hurt.
“In every field, there’s an expert,” he said. “I think people need to come to terms with the fact that you can’t be amazing at everything. You might be great in one area. Maybe you can cook, but your style isn’t so great and you need someone to help you with that. You need a fresh outlook and you can only get that with someone else. I’ve never been one of those people in style that try to change you. We want to work with what you like. We tend to divide and conquer because we have a lot to do in a short amount of time. But it’s always fun when we are doing things together. We have become really good buddies outside of filming the show so it’s fun to work together.”
When Younkers isn’t helping people upgrade their style, he’s busy assisting future generations of fashion designers learn their craft.
“I run a children’s fashion camp in the Hamptons,” he said. “It’s the only one of its kind. I have children from age 7-15 and they learn everything that you learn in the industry. These kids learn to draw, design their own styles and do digital printing. I’m wrapping that up as we speak and then I’m back to school — I’m a professor at Parsons — at the end of summer.”
A brand-new show making its Logo premiere in August is “Food To Get You Laid,” which helps ordinary people create a romantic meal in their own home, using only the ingredients in their fridge and pantry, under the guidance of personal chef and former fashion model Ronnie Woo.
“What’s really great and unique about the show is that it’s very real,” Woo said. “We’re going into people’s homes and using what they have in their house and making a meal out of it. What’s cool about it is that it is not [shot] on these perfect sets. It’s a little bit more raw. Not everything is going to be perfect but you can always make something out of nothing. It’s inspiring people and also motivating people to get into the kitchen. The show is very fun in that regard.”
Woo said most people are better in the kitchen than they usually give themselves credit for.
“They underestimate their abilities,” Woo said. “The point of this show is that food is very approachable and being in the kitchen is nothing to be scared of. What I’m trying to do on the show is to show that, ultimately, it’s your kitchen and you can do whatever you want. What they end up finding is that a lot of the things that we make is stuff they can do on their own. My hope is that they take the skills and the no-rules philosophy and continue cooking.”
Woo said the relationship aspect of the show really illustrates to the audience the power that cooking has on strengthening connections among people.
“You hear a lot of people say food brings people together,” he said. “But no one really elaborates on that. So for me, because I have a background in therapy, building a strong relationship is all about a positive shared experience. As humans, all we really have is our memories. So in this case, the relationship aspect is really important because sitting down in the kitchen and having a meal together is a shared experience. In this case, one half of the couple is cooking for the other half and then they are coming together and enjoying the results of their efforts. And hopefully, the other partner will see it and it will be something that they will remember. It’s not entirely about the food. Ultimately, it’s about creating a shared experience with your loved one and, thus, bringing them closer and building a stronger bond.”
Woo also is seeking to demonstrate that you don’t necessarily need a lot of fancy equipment or a fully stocked pantry to whip up a nice meal.
“As far as essential ingredients, it varies from person to person,” he said. “Aside from different ingredients that everybody likes, salt, pepper and fat are essential to making a really good meal. As long as you have those, you can make a really great meal. As far as equipment, besides counter space, you need one good stainless-steel pan, a cutting board and a chef’s knife. You can do a lot with that. Those things are really handy. They are basics for a reason. There’s no need for crazy tools.”
“Secret Guide to Fabulous” premieres 9 p.m. Aug. 7 and “Food To Get You Laid” premieres 9 p.m. Aug. 18. For more information, visit www.logotv.com.