Over the summer I became an addict. When I returned to school I feared that I would be forced to give up my addiction due to lack of easy access.

My addiction? Project Runway.

My mom and I faithfully tuned into Bravo every week to get our fix and then eagerly anticipated the next week’s show. But midway through the season I had to return to school…where (gasp) I didn’t get Bravo.

Thankfully, I was able to purchase the remaining episodes on iTunes after they aired. I’m sure I am not the only one who has fallen victim to the addictive force that is fashion reality TV.

The number of reality TV shows giving an “insider” look at the fashion road has skyrocketed in the past year or two. The addition of shows like The Agency, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, and the airing of the British and Australian versions of America’s Next Top Model on American networks are creating a new genre of television shows. However, as the spin-offs multiply, the quality goes down, and the fashion industry is becoming severely over-exposed and gaining a negative reputation.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve watched all of the aforementioned reality TV shows at least once (OK, more than that) and they are interesting and at times captivating. The fashion industry, as it is stereotypically understood, contains all the ingredients that translate into a juicy half hour of TV. Bitchiness, catty women, eating disorders and back stabbing abound. Oh, and the very subject matter guarantees that everyone is beautiful.

However, the rise of fashion shows may end up hurting the fashion industry. America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway are quality TV shows. They are well made and entertaining. However, the countless spin-offs they have spawned are considerably lower in quality. The Agency features episode after episode of foul-mouthed casting directors for the Wilhelmina model agency arguing with each other like 13-year-old girls. I can’t watch it for five minutes without getting a headache. And as for Janice Dickinson’s show… it frightens me that young models or people trying to make it in the fashion industry would look to her as a guide or mentor.

Part of the allure of reality TV is that it gives outsiders a peek at something mysterious. We satiated our desire to know exactly what it would be like to be stranded on a desert island with Survivor. Want to know what it’s like to work for “The Donald”? The Apprentice was a huge success in its initial few seasons. But spin-offs of both successful shows, like Martha Stewart’s version of The Apprentice, tend to fail.

I don’t blame television producers from cashing in on the success of shows like Next Top Model and Project Runway, but it’s sad that the focus of these new shows is mostly on the obscene and unfortunate aspects of the fashion world.

Spin-offs and B-list attempts at replicating the success of Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model are starting to sour my love for fashion TV. Rumors are circulating that even Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham may soon have her own reality TV show focusing on fashion.

If you are sick of fashion TV but still crave the inside scoop on the industry, keep your eyes open for a documentary, still in the works, about the making of the notoriously thick fall issue of Vogue. It should be an interesting unofficial sequel to The Devil Wears Prada.

But for now fashion TV remains addictive. Want evidence? Read the following recent exchange between my roommate and I:

Roommate: Guess what I did today…
Me: What?
Roommate: I watched SIX EPISODES of The Hills in a row.

Enough said.