Richie to be mentor on 'Fashion Star'

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., July 7 (UPI) -- Nicole Richie and John Varvatos have signed on to be celebrity mentors on the U.S. reality competition series "Fashion Star," NBC said.

They join previously announced celebrity mentor Jessica Simpson and host Elle Macpherson, Paul Telegdy, executive vice president of alternative programming at NBC and Universal Media Studios, announced Thursday.

"NBC could not have asked for better additions to the celebrity mentors than John Varvatos, one of the most well-known menswear designers in the nation, and international style icon and creative director, Nicole Richie," Telegdy said in a statement. "Both are trendsetters and taste-makers and their design skills and expertise will be invaluable to our contestants on the series."

"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," added Ben Silverman, executive producer of "Fashion Star" and chief executive officer and founder of the multimedia studio Electus.