Nicole Richie Joins NBC's Fashion Star

Nicole Richie will join Jessica Simpson in the role of mentors on the upcoming NBC reality competition Fashion Star.

"Jessica, Nicole, John and Elle make the most exciting team we have ever worked with on a reality television show and we are thrilled to feature such an extraordinary group of mentors and designers," said Ben Silverman, executive producer of Fashion Star and CEO of Electus, one of the show's production companies.

Hosted by former supermodel Elle Macpherson and produced by former Project Runway producers Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth, Fashion Star will feature 14 unknown designers competing in a series of weekly fashion and business challenges that will end with one of them being crowned the next "Fashion Star" and winning a multi-million dollar contract to launch their own line in three of America's largest retail stores.

Unlike Project Runway, which focuses on high-end women's fashion, Fashion Star will target a variety of casual fashion including dresses, suits, lingerie, denim, bathing suits, shoes, and accessories. Home viewers will also have the ability to purchase each week's winning designs both online and in stores the day after each episode airs.

Famous designers and buyers from American retailers will serve as judges for the competition, which will also provide the contestants with fashion industry experts to guide and mentor them.