Fashionsnoops Fashion Blog

Consumers today are obsessed with lifestyle makeovers, if not with their weight, their homes, closets or all three, which is evident today by the popular reality TV shows like The Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and What Not to Wear. We admittedly get suckered into watching these “reality” shows not for entertainment but for the mere fact that it is a majority of television programming. And with the writers strike still unresolved we may be witness to even more reality fare on a diet that already sucks for any authentic flavor. Did you see Flavor of Love? Be thankful if you missed out on that one.

In this quick-fix lifestyle trend, Tim Gunn is one person who has jumped on the bandwagon and created a niche for himself in a reality driven market. In the ever-changing world of fashion, Gunn sequestered the juicy role of fashion mentor on Project Runway, the reality show where designers compete in order to win the grand prize of $100,000 to finance their very own collection and present it at Fashion Week in Bryant Park, NYC. Everyone expected that the “stand out” celebrity of the reality show would be one of the top designers with their eccentric personas, not the actual mentor himself. But, is Gunn really that great?

This has been a big year for Gunn, who not only agreed to continue co-hosting Project Runway (now into Season 4), but released his first book A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (co-written by Kate Moloney), was given his own Bravo show Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style loosely based on the book, AND accepted the position of Chief Creative Officer of Liz Claiborne Inc., one of the nations largest apparel companies. Tim is now the creative voice for roughly 350 designers working on 45 different brands. This is quite a gear shift coming out of academia life.

He hasn’t stopped there but instead has created co-branding partnerships making Tim himself a brand, like most celebrity designers. Have you seen his Macy’s commercial with Martha? Macy’s is spending $100 million dollars on a new ad campaign featuring Sean “Puffy” Combs, Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Russell Simmons, Tim Gunn and Donald Trump - the heavy weights of celebrity. This tactic didn’t work for Gap, but perhaps Macy’s consumers will react running to the store. But is Gunn really out for gold?

We like Tim because of his humble beginnings, working at Parsons The New School for Design in NYC for 23 years and steadily contributing to its growth and success as a forward thinking educational institution. He started in admissions but spent most of his career as an associate dean of the school, and not until 2000 was he offered the chair of the Fashion Design Department. Perhaps it is his self-deprecating style or his candid criticism that endears us to him? Or maybe Gunn is just a man destined for great-ness.

Tim has taste and talent. He is a true insider to the fashion world and because of his academic approach he has something other leaders do not - a practical-ness that we are hungry for. Has he earned his title of “fashion guru” perhaps not, but mentor, coach, dean – an encouraging authoritative figure whom we trust for his taste and sensibility, absolutely! He is the new voice, the new spokesperson that speaks to designers AND consumers. His show Tim’s Guide to Style may not be a huge success, not because of the content but the format of the show itself. Tim is not a traditional host but a teacher and is entertaining when he does what he does best which is hands-on criticism. Why do you think they added Veronica Webb as co-host to his show? Bravo stated “she’ll add a little sass to his class”. This is a pretty ridiculous move by the producers for a show entitled Tim’s Guide to Style.

Tim may have failed at being a successful sculptor but he is definitely carving out a path in the fashion industry to stay. He revitalized a fashion curriculum at Parsons that had not changed since 1952, so perhaps he is the right person to give Liz Claiborne a much needed facelift. In this reality show influx, Tim Gunn is the real deal, an authentic solution with earned celebrity as a fashion authority. Where will he go next? Well, if we know Tim, we know he will find a way to “make it work”.