Fashion mentor talks self-image
Skinny isn’t always pretty. That’s what Tim Gunn, mentor on the popular reality show “Project Runway,” would say.
Gunn shared his insight on American fashion with nearly 1,000 attendees at the fifth University Lecture Series (ULS) event Wednesday night in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom.
“When you see a model walking the runway and the circumference of her knee is bigger than her calf, it’s not pretty,” Gunn said. “There are boundaries associated with appropriate. If you want to talk about bare midriffs, it belongs on the beach.”
Gunn also spoke about his experience as a career educator at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.
“If getting fashion advice was easy, everybody would look fabulous, and regrettably not everyone does,” Gunn said.
During a question-and-answer session, about 30 attendees went to the microphone to ask Gunn about his experience on “Project Runway” and his thoughts on fashion.
Jordan Stafford, a freshman majoring in social science education, said he has friends who attend Parsons.
“I’m a huge fan of (Project Runway),” Stafford said. “(ULS) definitely made a great choice of having (the lecture) in the Ballroom, and not in the Oval Theatre like they usually do considering the amount of people in (here).”
Gunn said self-image isn’t what you see down the runway.
“I think – no, I know – it’s a very serious issue,” he said. “A bunch of people blame the designers, but I blame the modeling agency.”
Gunn said he feels lucky to have a celebrity-like job, and he left the audience with one piece of advice.
“Life is very serendipitous,” he said. “See where life takes you and how life can completely and totally surprise you, because I’m a living example of that.”
More Stories
USF admin’s response to suicides unclear. What we know so far.
USF’s administration will not say who or how it will prevent future suicides on campus a month after a student leapt from an upper floor balcony of the Interdisciplinary Science Building – the third suicide since fall 2022. The Oracle has asked repeatedly about which USF administrators are overseeing suicide prevention initiatives and how the […]
USF SG leaders look back on campaign accomplishments while on non-speaking terms
Student body president Cesar Esmeraldi and vice president Elizabeth Volmy reached nearly every campaign goal during their term. The one thing that didn’t persevere was their unity. The pair ended their tenure reflecting on it from separate rooms. “We’ve had a great year,” Esmeraldi said. “I’m very happy with everything we’ve built. But because of […]
USF’s ‘Take Back the Night’ allows sexual survivors to share pain, resilience: ‘Recovery isn’t easy.’
A sexual assault survivor, who was the first speaker at Wednesday evening’s “Take Back the Night,” said the hardest day of their life was not when they were assaulted – it was the day after. “When I had to call my mom and tell her how her [child lost their] virginity and tell my therapist […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
McKinley Drive closed down for death investigation, Tampa police say
The intersection between Fowler Avenue and McKinley Drive was closed due to a death investigation late Wednesday afternoon, according to the Tampa Police Department (TPD). A man shot himself after making a bomb threat in the parking lot of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), located at 11201 McKinley Drive, according to TPD. Police said […]
USF 2024-25 A&S budget to increase student organization funding in Tampa and St. Pete
The Student Government (SG) Senate approved the 2024-25 Student Activities & Services (A&S) budget for all three campuses this Tuesday, seeing an overall increase in allocated money to student organizations. The vote was 26-0, approving the budget. Related: 2023-24 A&S budget down $5 million from last fiscal year Students pay fees in their tuition – […]