The reality TV wonderland that is Project Runway, and the designs that have come out of it, are almost as epic as the personalities it has showcased. But no one, and we mean no one, will ever be as memorable — and charming — as mentor Tim Gunn. Iconic phrases like, "What happened to André?" and "Make it work!" were stuck in our heads for hours on end. But that's what made the show great: the endless optimism and entertainment Gunn brought to our screens.
In honor of Gunn's 63rd birthday, we've compiled a selection of our favorite quotes of his from Goodreads, BrainyQuote, and his books (which, if you haven't read yet, start with Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible). They're both funny and thoughtful, but most importantly, honest, which is a virtue we're assuming Mr. Gunn wouldn't sacrifice for anything, especially when it comes to style.
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"Does a man need to know what a peplum is? Probably not."
"With fashion, you really need to understand the aspects of construction. Not just design on an iPad."
"But if fashion were easy, wouldn’t everybody look great?"
"Whoever’s designing for plus-size doesn’t get it. The entire garment needs to be re-conceived. You can’t just take a size 8 and make it larger."
"But my manners also came from when I was in college and began participating in critiques. You have to speak with someone respectfully about their work and be honest and open, without hurting them."
"You can be too rich and too thin, but you can never be too well-read or too curious about the world."
"Just the way it never rains when you have an umbrella, you’ll never run into people if you look fantastic. But go outside in pajamas, and you’ll run into every ex you have."
"I would certainly rather the industry not go broke, but if that’s what it takes for everyone to acquire some values and lose the sense of entitlement, maybe a little belt-tightening wouldn’t be so tragic."
"We no longer need fur for warmth and protection. There are plenty of textiles that provide that today. It’s pure whim and vanity to choose to wear fur. It shows a level of ignorance or lack of concern that reflects poorly on the wearer."
"I can’t imagine a more aesthetically offensive item of footwear than Crocs. That little strap! I shudder. I know Crocs are affordable. Well, so are Converse and lots of other brands that don’t look like hooves."
"If someone doesn’t ask, you don’t have a moral obligation to say every thought that pops into your head."
"Now we get to the Karma thing: You make yourself so vulnerable by not tipping well or treating people in the service industry with respect. Not only is it wrong to treat another human being like that, but there's a practical consideration: They're standing between you and eating. Without waiters, nothing comes to your table and nothing goes away. Aren't you worried that they'll put rat poison in your food, or at least spit in it?"
“I also have no problem if you want to find a cave and have someone roll a boulder in front of it.”
“A T-shirt is a T-shirt. Spending hundreds of dollars on it doesn't elevate it. He was under-dressed, even if his casual outfit did cost more than my suit and tie. I once had another fashion victim tell me, 'This T-shirt cost twelve thousand dollars!' What difference does that make? If that's the message you want to send about yourself and your fashion sense, you should wear the price tag, or that should be the message on your T-shirt: 'Hi. This T-shirt costs more than a semester of college.' Or: 'Hi. I have money to burn. Please help me get rid of all this wealth.' And my shirt, in turn, would say, 'Great. Please write a $12,000 check to charity.'”
"This explosion of athletic wear and rompers is very ironic when you think about how much more sedentary we've become. As we've become less active and higher-tech, we're wearing more and more workout clothes."