By Ashley Troost > University of Maryland

A thunderous applause exploded from the crowd as Project Runway’s Tim Gunn entered University of Maryland’s Grand Ballroom. He greeted the audience with the statement, “I’ve been in academia for 29 years, so you are my people. Nothing thrills me more than being with young people because you are our future.” This famous fashion icon came to UMD to give a lecture on fashion transition from college life to professional life, but decided to make the lecture more of a conversation with the audience.

Gunn first discussed his personal achievements as both a writer and television persona. His book entitled, “Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style”, allows readers to have an epiphany of who they are in regards to fashion. He explains that there are no photographs in the book, making it content driven. He does not want readers to copy styles, but instead create their own from the guidelines in his book. Gunn says, “The transformation begins with who you are and how you want the world to perceive you. I don’t subscribe to the fact that fashion is a prescription that you can get.”

Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style television show is quite different from other fashion television shows like What Not to Wear, because it’s not an intervention. He explains that the women on the show self-declare their desire to reform their style, and they have to do all the work.  In order to learn more about the personalities and style of the women, Gunn asks them to go through their closet and chose ten items that they can’t live without.  Before sending the women out on a shopping spree, he tells them to follow the guidelines of silhouette, proportion, and fit.

Gunn prefaced to the audience that he did not come prepared with a typed speech because he wanted the lecture to be “more organic”. He encouraged the crowd to ask him questions about anything ranging from Project Runway to personal fashion advice. One student asked Gunn how he felt about Kinley, an opinionated and outspoken contestant from season 5. “She’s very talented, but she is never going to make it in any career that involves working with other people. She needs to tone down her attitude.” What happens to the clothes made on the show?  Gunn says, “they are auctioned off on projectrunway.com, something completely separate from the Bravo website.” 

Gunn understands college students are on a tight budget, and says we can get a great, low-price wardrobe from H&M, including his “10 essential items”. As for the college fashion trend of wearing Ugg Boots, Gunn says, “It’s not that I hate leggings, it’s just that most people don’t get it right. Most times, it looks like a long bicycle short or a long stocking tucked inside a boot. It really has to do with your overall proportions and the footwear you wear. The only thing better would be wearing that look with crocks.”

Tim Gunn explains that he doesn’t care what people wear, as long as they take responsibility for their wardrobe.  This fashion icon’s final advice for your own fashion, “Just remember quantity, taste, and style. Do whatever you want to do and do it as fabulous as you can.”