Gawker
Style expert and Project Runway "mensch" Tim Gunn was at the 92nd St. Y last night for an interview with NY1's Bud Mishkin. He was, honestly, more articulate and charming than expected. There were no awkward moments when interviewee or interviewer (also excellent) stumbled around to find the thread of a conversation. Gunn just nattered on about his childhood, his tenure at Parsons, his sudden fame, and, of course, his outlook on what ladies should be wearing. Really, I can't tell you how delightful he was (sorry, commenter AndSheSaid) and am sorry that I couldn't get some kind of recording of the evening. You'll accept, I hope, a listicle summary after the jump.
- Tim Gunn had a terrible stutter as a child and it made him an introverted yet creative little boy (who also "preferred the company of adults.") He was obsessed with LEGOs and built elaborate structures for hours on end, alone in his room. Also, he received a toy castle once from his father, and proceeded to make outfits for the little guards that came with it.
- His father, way high up in the FBI, was understandably a bit aloof and removed. But he coached some kids' sports teams in the Washington D.C. area, none of which Gunn was a part of. Until he discovered swimming, which "is clean and you don't sweat," and he began to compete. His father became a coach.
- Tim's FBI father was the "right hand man" to J. Edgar Hoover, who Tim is convinced he saw dressed as Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy. )
- Tim was wearing a black suit with a blue shirt and a purple tie. Do not ask me for more details (if for some reason you happen to care) because I am not a fashion person. Currently I am wearing a potato sack with Kleenex boxes for shoes.
- Tim is bigoted against New Jersey. When talking about a change-resistant woman on his Guide to Style show, he said something to the effect of "well then go back to New Jersey with your cargo capris." Then later, discussing his father working as an FBI agent, said he worked "in Newark. And you can imagine what that was like." My born and raised Bayonne, New Jersey companion was none too happy.
- His overhaul of the Parsons fashion design program included ending famous designer apprenticeships and making students more responsible for their own creative destiny.
- He was so nervous to teach once that he vomited in the parking lot and could not stop his knees from buckling.
- He is "the luckiest guy in the world" for all the unexpected fame he's gained of late. His mother is becoming more and more fame hungry, though, demanding magazine articles with pictures and wanting that Nina Garcia to stop doing fashion commentary for People.
- There was a surprising number of visibly straight men in the audience.
- If you go by the fashion examples he cited, there are essentially two looks: classicist (Sally Field) and bohemian (Tilda Swinton.) Never the two shall meet, though people exist somewhere in between (I guess?)
- The producers of Project Runway only have a hand in the eliminations if there is a stalemate.
- Tim does not like What Not To Wear and other fashion "intervention" shows.
- Tim Gunn believes I should forge my own path and is so nice that I would like to hug him and have him make tea and we'd sip it and chat and chat about nothing and everything and the world would be perfect.
- I am happy to report, he really, genuinely, did not seem sad.
Comments
He will also be overseeing the makeovers on The Biggest Loser next week. I'm not sure if this is a plus or minus.
This made my morning. Thanks, Richard.
@PimpMyCouch: Oh, right. Yes. He said it was a great experience.
Jesus, Richard, you scared me.
I saw that headline and I thought you were quitting!
Excellent recap, Richard.
Did he mention having any brothers or sisters?
@koala325: Thanks!
One younger sister.
Father in the FBI explains sooooooooo much!
I am a classist bohemian, although if I had to describe my look it would fall somewhere in between Hell's Angel, forest nymph, and hot tranny mess.
@flossy: Oh, "classicist." Damn. Well, I stand by what I said.
We really need to find out some not so wonderful things about Tim or else I am just going to assume he is made of candy, rainbows and puppies.
I'm glad to hear this. I've been worried that Tim Gunn will be outed as crypto-asshole.
I can't say enough good things about Tim- I attended a talk he gave last year and he was so gracious, and he stayed afterwards during the cocktails speaking to everyone. When I approached him and gushed at how handsome he was, he genuinely blushed! What a gentleman!
Ok, this recap raises a couple of questions:
• "There was a surprising number of visibly straight men in the audience." What exactly does "visibly straight" mean? Were women performing fellatio on them as they sat there?
• "Tim does not like What Not To Wear and other fashion 'intervention' shows." Tim Gunn hosts his own fashion intervention show, whose premise was basically ripped off directly from What Not To Wear. Is he saying he hates his own show?
@MisterHippity:
1) Perhaps.
2) Intervention meaning other people force the change upon them. On Tim's show people request help for themselves. He sees a big difference there.
@Richard: Phew! I can't wait. I am shamefully addicted to The Biggest Loser, and I have a feeling the contestants will look great. At least, better than the "makeovers" on ANTM.
Oh, great recap! It made me want to invite Tim Gunn over for tea and cake.
Sally Field and Tilda Swinton? Were Helen Mirren and Soleil Moon Frye busy?
@MisterHippity:
I had the exact same thought. I held my breath until the end.
Tim, like everyone shits on New Jersey. I had noticed when I lived in NYC that it didn't matter where you were from (visiting or otherwise) ANYBODY could throw out a "Jersey Blows" and encourage a series of high fives.
I once pitched new business to the NJ Tourism Board, and in a poll we did asking residents what they were proud of about their fair state, "The Boss" was the most popular response.
@Reggie Cameron: This seems to be the same case for Long Island and the common answer of beaches and Billy Joel. Ugh!
@Richard: Ha! I've never said he wasn't charming. He just doesn't charm me. And I can't resist taking the piss out of all of the Tim Gunn adulation. Someone had to refrain from drinking the Kool Aid. (That must be some good stuff because I appear to be the only one.) I don't find him convincing as a "expert" but he is very good as a shill. I'll give him that. (Did anyone ask him if there was anything he won't sell?)
I did think he was extremely funny when dealing with crazy Vincent. And I find him increasingly hilarious--although I am laughing at him and not with him.
re: @MisterHippity: I've never bought the story that his makeover show is somehow different from the others, except that it is less entertaining and more annoying.
@Goober_Pea: re: We really need to find out some not so wonderful things about Tim or else I am just going to assume he is made of candy, rainbows and puppies.
Well, for one, he thinks that women should not have flesh on them. Anyone over a size 4 is "zaftig." The ideal model for clothes is someone like Kate Moss. (Or better yet, Christian Siriano.)
FUN FACT: if you are exerting yourself then you do sweat when you swim. So in a pool you are swimming in everyone's sweat (and piss). Swimmers get a lot of pink eye. So swimming is actually rather filthy.
Richard, my favorite adorable accessory to go with a potato-sack-and-kleenex-box-shoes ensemble would be an aluminum foil hat (these make great gifts, too - one size fits all!). My question - is this bohemian or classicist?
Tim Gunn should be our president. He already has a catch phrase and he could ban the pantsuit from Washington.
@AndSheSaid: I wouldn't want to see my size 184 ass modeling clothes either.
@amplesufficiency: I tend to gravitate towards those big Asian rice bags. Much softer than burlap and water resistant.
@Goober_Pea: But it is nice to see some curves on a woman modelling clothes. Or not. (And I'm not saying the curves have to fold over themselves!)
@Richard: @amplesufficiency: @Goober_Pea: IKEA shopping bags work well -- and they come in traffic stopping colors which is useful on those nights when you end up stumbling down the middle of the street ranting incoherently.
@JorgeLuisGorgeous: Tim Gunn should be our president.
"Janjaweed: I'm loving the whole nomad/warrior on horseback look. It's very Lawrence of Arabia, which is fabulous. But your scorched earth policy: that's a lotta look. And you're doing ethnic cleansing again? I do like clean lines but the repetition of rape and genocide: that worries me. If you keep doing the same thing then you risk boring Nina. Perhaps you can fix it with feathers. Whatever. Just make it work."
"That Nina Garcia," indeed. Tim's mother sounds like a hoot. Does she ever come on his show? I must watch the first season.
Thanks (again) Richard for the report.
I love his input on Project Runway, not so much his Guide to Style show though.
I also heart that he throws it down about NJ -- I know from experience with a Jersey Gal about wearing cargo capris -- and I was embarassed for her.
So I know exactly what he means and I can't agree more.
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