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Background:
Tim Gunn is best known as the wise, empathetic mentor on television’s Project Runway, but before he found himself guiding the next generation of designers on screen, he spent time teaching and shaping the fashion curriculum at Parsons, where he helped nurture some of the most influential names in American fashion. His journey began in Washington, D.C., where early struggles with bullying and a desire to understand his own creativity led him toward mentoring and educating others.
Now, as the industry grapples with change on multiple fronts, Gunn offers his unique perspective on what it really takes to succeed today — in life and in fashion.
“Life is a huge collaboration. We need other people. We’re not intended to be solos. And no one should think, ‘I can deal with this and solve this myself,’” says Gunn.
This week on The BoF Podcast, Gunn opens up about how his early trials shaped his remarkable career, why he left his art practice behind to focus on teaching and mentorship, and how he sees the future of American fashion.
Key Insights:
- A graduate of the Corcoran College of Art and Design, Gunn once dreamed of being a painter or sculptor, but after just a few years in the classroom, he realised guiding students gave him more satisfaction than making his own work. “After two years of teaching, I thought, ‘I feel so fulfilled and so sated through the teaching process, I don’t need to make the work,’” Gunn says. “This is what I love doing and I’m just going to keep doing it.”
- During his tenure at Parsons, Gunn served as both a teacher and an administrator — eventually rising to Associate Dean — and was tasked with revitalising the school’s struggling fashion program. “The curriculum had not changed since 1952,” he recalls. “No computers, no fashion history… I was completely and totally horrified.” Determined to better prepare students for the realities of the industry, Gunn helped introduce new business training, creative independence, and a broader perspective on design. “The former curriculum was all about being totally and wholly dependent upon the faculty. You couldn’t do anything without faculty approval. And I thought, ‘These students are incredibly talented and bright. We need to let them fly and see where it takes them.’”
- The producers of Project Runway learned about Tim Gunn from industry insiders who pointed to his transformational work at Parsons. Gunn initially resisted the idea of reality TV, but curiosity won out, and his background as an educator shaped his signature style of mentorship on the show.
- Gunn believes emerging designers need more real-world business training, collaboration partners and a firm grasp of their own creative DNA to survive. “If you insist upon making every garment yourself, just be resigned to having a little boutique and not making any money. If you really want something big, you’re gonna have to let go and you’re gonna have to collaborate with a lot of people,” Gunn advises. “Any one of us, either individually or collectively, can only be as successful as our ambitions and our resources allow us to be.”