LOS ANGELES — Jessica Simpson will serve as mentor to aspiring designers in a new NBC reality series.

She will help guide contestants in the series “Fashion Star” as they compete for a multimillion-dollar contract to launch their own brand.

Elle McPherson will host the show, which NBC promises to be a “true spectacle” taped in front of a studio audience and featuring music, dancers and models along with weekly challenges for the contestants.

Simpson, 30, (“The Dukes of Hazzard,” TV’s “The Price of Beauty”) is a fashion mogul as well as entertainer, with a line that carries her name and includes 22 product categories.

The contestant who best combines fashion and business gets a contract to launch a line with three major retailers, which are yet to be announced. Buyers from each chain will serve as judges, keeping contestants in the competition by buying their designs.

Each week’s winning design in categories ranging from suits to lingerie to accessories will be available for immediate online purchase.

The debut date for “Fashion Star” was not announced.