Last Night: Tim Gunn at The Corcoran
Friday, September 28, 2007
TIM GUNN, THE FRIENDLY FACE OF FASHION
Forget snark, forget snobbery – the thing that is so wonderfully refreshing about Tim Gunn is that he presents fashion as something everyone can and should enjoy. It comes, I think, from his history as an educator and his appreciation for fashion’s historical significance. I saw so many different types of people as I looked around the room last night at the Corcoran. Mostly women of course—but women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and taste in clothing. And they were all just completely charmed as hell by Tim Gunn, who was just as gracious, funny, and welcoming as he always is. Besides showing slides from NY Fashion Week, he talked about his new role as Chief Creative Officer for Liz Claiborne Inc., praised Marc Jacobs and other innovative American designers like former students Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler, and best of all uttered the phrase “makes my bile writhe” to describe bubble skirts.
Innovation was certainly the buzzword of the evening: innovation on the runways, a more nurturing and accepting fashion industry post-9/11 that has helped to fuel that innovation, and shows like Project Runway that cultivate interest in emerging designers. Throughout his career, innovation has been a Tim Gunn priority – first when he joined Parsons & ruffled a bunch of feathers by doing away with stodgy programs at the school and now in his new challenge of helping to reinvent and reposition Liz Claiborne, who was an innovator in her own right. At the end of the night he said, “Fashion has never been in a better place.” It appears that neither has Tim Gunn!
*(Check out Wonkette reporter-girl Liz Glover above in some serious vintage…!)
** Check out this nifty little contest I found on the Liz website!
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K, you and your scarlet-hued Posh ‘Super K’ hobo look divine. Though I must say, Liz is rocking LC’s red carpet stance a wee bit more to-the-T than you.
I love me some Gunn and all, but I strongly disagree with his pooh poohing the reemergence of the bubble hem — ’80s prom 4eva.
Mr Gunn simply looks too old to seriously contemplate taking on the daunting task of rectifying all of the errant fashion whims of this hackneyed town.
Tim’s remark was “..makes my bile rise” (not writhe)
ah. well, i like both.
While I really like Tim Gunn and he never professes to know anything about men’s fashion, he is a pretty terrible dresser. Ill fitting black suit with his bottom button buttoned and really ugly, cheap looking shoes.
Z…. you’ve certainly captured the essence of Gunn’s dress sense. Sounds/looks oh-so familiar! Possibly he’s a DC local
I’m truly haunted by the last picture of the woman wearing the loudly patterned dress.
I have to ask, what prompted the individual to acquire it, let alone wear it?
If it is a family heirloom, then the first part of the question is answered; but surely it can be treasured while left to hang in the furthest recesses of a dark wardrobe or closet.
To say that it merely offends reasonable aesthetic norms would be simply too polite.
StyleArbiter – Yes, he is a DC local
StyleArbiter…
I’d go further…that dress, much like a convicted pedophile…should be locked up and the key thrown way
Gunn’s a style maven……NOT!!!!
So it’s ok for everyone to leave comments bashing Liz Glover’s dress and likening it to pedophilia, but an innocent inquiry as to Kathryn’s due date gets removed?
Yeah, that’s a fair and consistent editorial policy. And now, how will I know what season to buy a shower gift for?
I can’t believe you’re all bagging on that (clearly wrong) dress in the last picture and missing out on the triad of wrong right above it.
To the left, some woman who looks like she’s a little girl in the ’80′s dressed up in her Mom’s business gear . . .except for the circa 1999 pointy toed silver pumps.
To the right, a girl who has shelled out $$$ for a bag large enough to hide her dress behind–a wise move, since said dress is shapeless, apparently made from gym shorts, and designed for someone with no hips, ass, or jumblies. . a category into which said lady does not fall.
In the middle, a reasonably chic blonde wondering who these people are, and why they and a canvas purse strap insist on clinging to her.
Georgeglass..
Did your mother ever tell you that you’re a callous bastard
Isn’t it a delicious irony that all these women get dressed up in their most atrocious costumes to present themselves to a style maven. Poor old Gunn, he must have thought that an intervention was required for some considerable part of his audience.
Anyway, he apparently managed to retain his composure, and questionable sense of style, throughout the evening, since he appears to have remained composed enough to keep both buttons on his ill-fitting jacket buttoned-up.
Way to go, you old dandy!!
Toonces,
…because if i deleted all of the posts i found to be unnecessarily sharp-tongued & offensive on this post, there would be no comments here at all, practically. Which is pretty lame & disappointing.
Honestly….the blind leading the blind!!