They score not only with their knowledge, but also with their clothing. Overthe years, the candidates of ‘The smartest person in the world’ look more andmore thoughtfully dressed. Although that is not always a conscious strategy.
Katrin SwartenbrouxTuesday 11 October 202211:34
If you compare ‘The smartest person in the world’ with a game of TrivialPursuit at your own kitchen table, you will notice two major differences. Fora pastime that gives rise to winners and losers, there is remarkably littlecrying, yelling and cursing in ‘The smartest man’. And although you love tosee your table companions, it is usually more pleasant to watch theparticipants of the most popular quiz in the world.
That’s, of course, because a person isn’t going to play games in a weekdaybaggy sweater or dip-stained pajama bottoms if that game is also broadcast onTV. Who agrees to take a seat in one of the iconic red seats in the arena ofVan Looy , immediately receives the briefing from one of the dressers ofthe channel. It states that it is better not to wear garments that form alarge white area, that large brand names should not be visible and that smallprints are also not recommended because they are distorted on the image.Guests are also asked to bring three complete outfits, not only because theydo not know in advance how many episodes they will be allowed to play thatday, but also to see if everything is correct on the screen and that not everyplayer is wearing the same color. for example.
Herman Brusselmans and Jennifer HeylenImage SBS
sit well
Because preparing for a quiz broadcast in prime time is stressful enoughwithout hyperventilating in front of the wardrobe, more and more players arehiring a professional stylist to do the prep work. “A good ‘The smartestperson’ outfit is one that makes you feel powerful, but also comfortable,”says stylist Farah El Bastani , who regularly pulls out all the stops forcandidates for the quiz. She uses her own stock of clothing that she hascollected over the years, but she also goes shopping and borrowing fromcertain brands that suit her client. She always starts with a mood board thatcaptures the client’s style – because it is especially important for ‘Thesmartest person’ that participants look like themselves. She then collectsoutfits that she then presents to the customer, with which she makes the finalselection.
‘People think that stylists are mainly needed for glamorous moments, the redcarpets of life, but the importance of your outfit during such a quiz cannotbe underestimated,’ says El Bastani. “It’s hard to break your brain whilethinking about a waistband tucking into your flesh, a seam that itches or ahem that you have to constantly pull down. It must therefore not only lookgood, but also sit well. Literally too. I always let my clients sit in theoutfit we have chosen, because a dress that dresses nicely when you stand cansometimes fall completely different when you sit, and vice versa.’
Stylist Farah El Bastani: ‘The importance of your outfit during such a quizcannot be underestimated.’Image Instagram
El Bastani already provided the quiz outfits of (ex-) participants as Eva DeRoo , Christina ‘Chrostin’ De Witte, Jan Verheyen , SarahMouhamou , Astrid Stockman and Ella Leyers. Her work for the latterin particular has caused quite a stir. ‘I see Ella has turned the tide. Sinceher participation (in 2020, ed.) the importance of styling (during ‘Thesmartest human being’) has become apparent. Not only lifestyle publications,but also general newspapers wrote about her outfits and wondered what shewould wear the next day. That was fairly unseen. Presenters have always beendressed, of course, but now guests also realize: wait a minute, more than amillion people are watching this. Maybe I should pay attention to what I’mwearing after all.’
Strategy
Someone who has not blindly snatched an outfit from the bedroom chair isRiadh Bahric , who had to pay for his striking red socks during his firstepisode, two years ago. In the following episodes, the journalist invariablyappeared on the battlefield wearing a different color of stockings. ‘In allthe colors of the rainbow, eh’, he says. ‘By the way, I still do that on thelate news. You rarely see it there – only those seeking added value willnotice it in wide shots – but it was therefore a conscious choice.’ The jerseythat Bahri wore during his first participation also received a comment, whichturned out to be an excellent buyer for the Belgian designer. ChristianWijnants to mention, a roaring name for fashion lovers, which suddenly alsogot a platform outside of it.
“I think brands and marketers still underestimate the impact something like aTV quiz can have, even though it’s a medium that brings awareness to thegeneral public,” says El Bastani. ‘I always take this into account, forexample by featuring young labels or Belgian designers, in order to also givethem a springboard – although it is never a conscious goal for me to createoutfits that will be written about. . The most important thing is that thereis a match between the clothing and the customer.’
Bahri had another trick up his proverbial sleeve, besides his stockings. ‘Formy final episodes I wore a shade of pink every day, but nobody actuallyaddressed me about that at the time,’ he laughs. Or how sometimes you bettersave your strategy for the game itself.