Project Runway made Tim Gunn a go-to fashion guru. Now with his own show, Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, he's also set to star in Runway's fourth season, which begins Nov. 14.
Did you expect Project Runway to be such a hit?
I never even contemplated that we'd have a second season. But what a phenomenon. I really can't get over it. I pinch myself every day.
How did your catchphrase, "Make it work," originate?
I've been using it forever in my classes. It came about from having students who are much more inclined to start a project over rather than accept the challenge and try to fix it.
How have you been able to distinguish Guide to Style from other makeover shows?
I knew we couldn't be like everybody else. We spend two full days educating the women. If you do this at people instead of with them, they walk away and really don't know what's happened.
What's the biggest fashion mistake people make?
Fit. Most women associate everything with comfort. They assume things that are too big are comfortable.
Wire hangers are a faux pas. But you use them yourself?
[Laughs.] Yes, but I'll tell you why. I have my shirts laundered, and to transfer them would just require too much work.