Tim Gunn
Timothy MacKenzie Gunn | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 29, 1953 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, educator, television personality, fashion consultant |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Mentor on Project Runway, chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, author |
| Notable work | Project Runway, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, Under the Gunn |
Timothy MacKenzie Gunn (born July 29, 1953) is an American writer, educator, and television figure. From 1982 until 2007, he was a member of the faculty at Parsons School of Design in New York, holding the position of fashion design department chair from August 2000 through March 2007. Following this, he took on the role of chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, now known as Kate Spade & Company. Gunn became widely recognized over 16 seasons as the on-screen mentor for designers on the reality series Project Runway. His success on the show led to two related programs: Bravo’s Tim Gunn's Guide to Style and Lifetime’s Under the Gunn. He has authored five books and served as executive producer and mentor for young designers on Project Runway: Junior. Additionally, Gunn provides the voice for Baileywick in the Disney Junior series Sofia the First and was the narrator for the sitcom Mixology.
Early life
Born in Washington, D.C., Gunn’s father initially worked as an agent for the FBI before transitioning to roles as a ghostwriter and speechwriter for J. Edgar Hoover. Gunn completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in sculpture at Corcoran College of Art and Design, part of George Washington University.
Growing up in an environment hostile to homosexuality, Gunn recognized his sexual orientation early but did not openly acknowledge it until his twenties, coming out to his sister at age 29. He revealed a suicide attempt at 17 in a video created for the It Gets Better Project.
Career
Gunn began his professional journey as director of admissions at Corcoran before joining Parsons in 1982. He advanced to associate dean from 1989 to 2000 and was named chair of the Fashion Design Department in August 2000, where he played a key role in updating the curriculum to align with contemporary trends.
He made his television debut on Project Runway’’ during its inaugural season in 2004, becoming known for his signature phrase, "Make it work." In recognition of his hosting abilities, he earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 2013 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. His own reality series, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, aired on Bravo between 2007 and 2008. Later, in 2014, he hosted Lifetime’s Under the Gunn and took on executive producer and mentoring duties for Project Runway: Junior.
Gunn made guest appearances on ABC’s shows such as Ugly Betty (2007) and Drop Dead Diva (2009). He departed Parsons in 2007 to assume the position of chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, Inc. that March.
In April 2007, Abrams Image Publishers released his book A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style, co-authored with Kate Moloney. His professional accomplishments earned him official recognition from cities including Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage. Between 2010 and 2015, he published an additional four books.
In May 2009, Gunn returned to Corcoran College of Art and Design as commencement speaker and was awarded an honorary doctorate. He made occasional appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and guest-starred as Barney's tailor on How I Met Your Mother. He also appeared as himself on The CW’s Gossip Girl.
On September 7, 2018, it was announced that both Gunn and Heidi Klum would exit Project Runway after signing a contract to co-host the fashion competition series Making the Cut on Amazon Video. The show’s third season premiered in summer 2022.
In other media
In August 2007, Jeffrey Lependorf's "Tim Gunn's Podcast (a reality chamber opera)" debuted at the Cornelia Street Cafe located in Manhattan, New York, followed by a performance at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2008. Gunn made an appearance in the inaugural issue of Models Inc., a fashion-centric comic miniseries published by Marvel Comics in September 2009, timed to align with New York City's fashion events. He is depicted on a special cover illustrated by Phil Jimenez and features within the narrative donning Iron Man armor to prevent an assault on the New York Fashion Museum. Additionally, Gunn took part in the opening sketch of the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards, where he styled Jimmy Fallon as Bruce Springsteen.
In 2014, Gunn contributed to Do I Sound Gay?, a documentary that examines stereotypes related to the speech patterns of gay men. He also appeared in Kate McKinnon's audio drama Heads Will Roll and shared insights about his professional journey on the Living Not So Fabulously podcast, revealing how he secured representation after nearly three decades as an educator. Despite his prominent role on Project Runway, Gunn was not compensated for two seasons and personally financed his travel expenses while teaching at Emerson College. He highlighted teamwork as essential for achieving success.
Personal life
Gunn lives in Manhattan. In a 2010 discussion with People, he described himself as having been "always kind of asexual" and expressed satisfaction with his celibate lifestyle, which he adopted during the AIDS epidemic impacting the gay community. He has openly addressed this personal decision, affirming that it does not lessen his sense of fulfillment.
As an opponent of animal fur use in fashion, Gunn narrated a 2008 video for PETA that exposed cruelty within rabbit fur farming operations in China, condemning these actions as "egregiously irresponsible." Politically, he supported Christine Quinn during the 2013 New York City mayoral election.
Awards and honors
In June 2020, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty recognized Gunn as one of fifty influential figures "guiding the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people."
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2017 | Project Runway | Himself (Mentor) | |
| 2007 | Drinks with LX | Himself | |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Fashion TV Reporter | 2 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Tim Gunn's Guide to Style | Himself | |
| 2008 | American Dad! | Himself | Voice role, episode: "Escape from Pearl Bailey" |
| 2008 | The Replacements | Himself | Voice role, episode: "Heartbreak in the City" |
| 2009 | Drop Dead Diva | Himself | Episode: "Second Chances" |
| 2009 | Project Runway: All Star Challenge | Himself | Television special |
| 2009–2016 | The Biggest Loser | Himself | |
| 2010–2014 | How I Met Your Mother | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Gossip Girl | Himself | Episode: "Easy J" |
| 2011 | Teen Spirit | Supervisor J-3 | Television film |
| 2012 | The Revolution | Himself (Co-Host) | |
| 2012 | The Cleveland Show | Himself | Voice role, 2 episodes |
| 2013–2018 | Sofia the First | Baileywick | Voice role, 42 episodes |
| 2013 | Sesame Street | Bill Ding | Episode: "Best House of the Year" |
| 2013 | Family Guy | Himself | Voice role, episode: "Save the Clam" |
| 2014 | Under the Gunn | Himself (Host) | |
| 2014 | Himself (Panelist) | ||
| Inside Amy Schumer | Episode: "Foam" | | ||
| The Real O'Neals | Episode: "The Real Other Woman" | | ||
| Bill Nye Saves the World | Episode: "Designer Babies" | | ||
| Mickey and the Roadster Racers | Voice role, 4 episodes | | ||
| BoJack Horseman | Voice role, episode: "Hooray! Todd Episode!" | | ||
| Middle School Moguls | Voice role, 2 episodes | | ||
| Making the Cut | Also executive producer | | ||
| Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | Voice role, episode: "A Fashion Nightmare!" | | ||
| Animaniacs | Voice role, episode: "Mouse Congeniality" | | ||
| Bob's Burgers | Voice role, episode: "Gift Card or Buy Trying" | | ||
| Sofia the First: Royal Magic | Voice role, main character | |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Character | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sex and the City 2 | Himself | |
| 2011 | The Smurfs | Henri |
Authored Publications
- Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style (2007), Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
- Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work (2010), Gallery Books
- Shaken, Not Stirred (2011), Tim Gunn
- Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet (2012), Gallery Books
- Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making It Work! (2015), Gallery Books
Related Topics
References
External Resources
- Official website for Lifetime TV's Project Runway
- Chicago Tribune (December 1, 2005): "An Interview with Tim Gunn of 'Project Runway'"
- The New York Times (April 12, 2007): "Fashion’s Headmaster"
- Interview on Sarah's Backstage Pass: Sarah Adamson "Style Advice for the Suburban Woman"
- Interview in Palm Springs Life: R. Christian Anderson "Summer Style Tips: Guidance from Tim Gunn"
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1953 births
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- American businesspeople in fashion
- American gay entertainers
- American gay writers
- American LGBTQ broadcasters
- American LGBTQ writers
- American male voice actors
- Asexual men
- American asexual people
- Businesspeople from Washington, D.C.
- Fashion stylists
- George Washington University Corcoran School alumni
- LGBTQ people from Washington, D.C.
- Living people
- Male actors from Washington, D.C.
- Parsons School of Design faculty
- Participants in American reality television series
- Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Project Runway (American series)
- Project Runway (American series) Mentors
- Writers from Washington, D.C.