Name	Tim Gunn
Height
Naionality	New York, New York
Date of Birth	July 29, 1953
Place of Birth	Washington, D.C.
Famous for

Timothy Gunn, son of George and Nancy Gunn, was born on July 29, 1953. He was raised in the Washington, D.C. area where his father was an assistant director for the FBI and also served as the ghostwriter of J. Edgar Hoover. Tim was a relatively unhappy child and quite introverted. He had a speech impediment, and spent most of his time alone, reading books and practicing the piano. Between the ages of 12 and 20 he was enrolled in a dozen schools because he had a difficult time handling social interaction among his peers.

Gunn attended the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C. with aspirations of becoming a sculptor. He did not find it any easier there. An artist looked at his student work and told him, “I’d rather look at the space this work displaces than look at this work.” After graduating with a B.F.A. in sculpture, Tim taught at Corcoran.

In 1982, Gunn joined Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. In 1989, he was appointed as Associate Dean. In this position, he worked very closely with the academic departments and helped to develop programs and relationships abroad. He also lectured widely on fashion and lifestyle design. In 2000, he was appointed as chair of the Department of Fashion Design. In his role as chair, he was given the task of invigorating the curriculum for the 21st century. The fashion curriculum had not been altered since 1952! Under Gunn’s direction, the department began to introduce its students to commercial fashion business, critical thinking and fashion history. He also made the school’s annual runway show more competitive by presenting only the best collections. Gunn credits the success of 2002 Parson’s graduates, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, to this change in the show’s format. Barneys New York purchased the duo’s collection off the school’s runway, which was the first time any collection had been purchased from Parson’s runway.

In 2004, Gunn began appearing on the Bravo television show, “Project Runway.” He serves as a mentor to the contestants during all of their challenges. He has become well-known for his two catchphrases on the show, “Carry on!” and “Make it work!” He also stars in his own show on Bravo, “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style”, which is based on his book, Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style. The book was coauthored by Kate Moloney.

Most recently, Gunn joined Liz Claiborne, Inc. as Chief Creative Officer. The announcement was made on February 1, 2007, and he officially began in the position on March 5, 2007. The company states that in the position Gunn “will be responsible for attracting, retaining and developing the creative talent within the Liz Claiborne, Inc. portfolio of brands.” Gunn will report directly to William L. McComb, Chief Executive Officer of Liz Claiborne, Inc. In regards to his new position, Gunn stated, “Though this is not something I had envisioned for myself, I jumped at the chance to serve as a mentor, advisor and sounding board for the design and merchandising community within Liz Claiborne, Inc…”

Tim Gunn currently resides in New York City in Chelsea’s London Terrace towers, where he had been on the waiting list for nine months. Tim Gunn is openly gay.