Style guru Gunn fires up ‘Fashion Meets Art’ audience

Vero’s fashionistas put their best designer styles forward at the seventh annual Fashion Meets Art fundraiser at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. This year’s event, chaired by Gregory Allan Ness, featured Tim Gunn, best known for his mentorship of promising designers on the reality show “Project Runway,” for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award.

Prior to heading into the Holmes Great Hall for the conversation, moderated by former sports journalist Tiffany Corr, event sponsors were treated to a champagne reception in the Buck Atrium. There, guests were surprised with a runway fashion show of styles from Cooper & Co., whose owner, Melinda Cooper, co-founded the event with Karen Loeffler.

“Over the past seven years, this event has grown exponentially, and it’s all made possible by an amazing group of people working tirelessly and mostly behind the scenes,” said Ness, introducing members of the committee.

Ness noted that education is central to the mission of the museum, which serves thousands of people each year through its numerous programs and collaborations with various community organizations.

“Because of your generous support of this event, the Museum of Art will continue to thrive and ensure that art remains a vital part of our community,” said Ness.

Introducing Gunn, he described him as being synonymous with fashion, style and adherence to excellence.

“He literally wrote the book ‘A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style,’ so that kind of tells you everything you need to know,” said Ness.

“I am so thrilled and honored to be here with you and I’m totally disarmed by what Vero Beach is,” said Gunn.

He proceeded to engage the audience for the next hour, sharing humorous and engaging stories about his background and accomplishments, and the industry overall.

Prior to “Project Runway,” Gunn served on the faculty of Parsons School of Design for some 25 years, including as associate dean and as chair of its fashion design department, and is credited with making positive changes to the curriculum. Later, Gunn served as the chief creative officer for Liz Clayborne Inc., authored four books, hosted multiple other shows, and has appeared on many television shows.

He calls his rise to fame both surprising and serendipitous, especially given that he was “an extremely reserved, shy, introverted child.”

When “Project Runway” began in 2004, he said he needed to change his focus from teaching to mentoring, which meant learning to step back, listen and allow the designers to make their own decisions.

Although he very much enjoyed working with Heidi Klum, “a doll,” he elicited laughs when he spoke of the ‘diva-dom’ of others, sharing tales about some of the most difficult and demanding people in the field.

His starting advice was to wear outfits that work best for you, rather than following any particular trends.

He also referenced the “slob-ification” of society, including asking what he said was a rhetorical but sincere question,

“When did the legging become a pant?” I liked it to cilantro, which people often hate but eventually get used to.

Photos by Joshua Kodis