'Fashion Star' - Meet designers Barbara Bates, Edmond Newton: video

NBC's brand new design competition Fashion Star is just around the corner, so now is a good time to get acquainted with the 14 designers hoping to impress mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos - not to mention representatives from three of America's top retailers - and win the multi-million dollar prize.

> Fashion Star - watch a video preview of NBC's new competition

Meet two of Fashion Star's hopeful designers in the videos below, and then check back tomorrow (March 8) for introductions to more contestants.

Barbara Bates has 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, and has worked with icons like Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan. The 55-year-old from Chicago, Illinois is a breast cancer survivor who began her career in fashion by selling designs in the bathroom during lunch breaks while she worked as a secretary at the First National Bank of Chicago. She founded the Bates Foundation in 1999, which provides prom clothing to underprivileged kids in Chicago.

Watch Barbara Bates introduce herself below:



Edmond Newton developed a love of fashion while travelling the country with his salon owner mother as a young boy. The 32-year-old was voted "best dressed" at junior high, and even worked as a male model when he was 17. He says that Fashion Star feels almost like a "vacation" to him because he is getting to do what he loves every day.

Watch Edmond Newton introduce himself below:



Fashion Star premieres Tuesday, March 13 at 9.30/8.30c on NBC.