Tommy Hilfiger Enters Trump's Turf

Attention aspiring fashionistas! Designer Tommy Hilfiger is looking for a few good trendsetters. On his upcoming reality show The Cut, the rag-trade veteran will give some lucky rookie the chance to design a collection for his label. He's humbly dubbed himself the "mentor, host and judge" of the contest, which will debut mid-season on CBS.

Auditions for The Cut started last weekend in Los Angeles. "We're looking for all different kinds of people from all walks of life," he explains. "It's accessible to everyone — a housewife, a design student or a surfer with good ideas. And this is not just about designing clothes, it's about having a sense of style and a good sense of pop culture. They have to convince us that they could be the purveyor behind a global lifestyle brand."

Obviously, Hilfiger hasn't time to judge every applicant himself, but he will see a certain number who make it past the initial tryouts. Casting calls are being held not only in L.A., but also New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Miami and Chicago. (By the way, unlike the other moguls imitating Donald Trump's small-screen success, Hilfiger has at least done reality TV before, as a guest on daughter Ally's MTV show, Rich Girls!)

The Cut will feature the usual 16 contestants jumping through hoops, with at least one competitor eliminated weekly until only two or three remain. "This is about what we call FAME: F is for Fashion, A is for Art, M is for Music and E is for Entertainment," he says. "I'm excited. I think it's actually fun and challenging to find new talent because there is so much out there. It's going to be a very hard choice."