Tim Gunn talks summer trends, Transitions glasses, new season of 'Project Runway' [Exclusive Interview]

The beginning of summer in New York City has brought cooler temperatures and some rainy days, but the idea of style is something that cannot be brought down by the weather.

Tim Gunn, fashion guru, TV personality, author and co-host of Lifetime’s hit reality show competition Project Runway, sat down with TheCelebrityCafe.com this week to discuss what he thinks will be trendy this summer.


Photo courtesy of Nancy Rivera/ACE/INFphoto.com

Surprisingly, Gunn admitted that he is usually against the latest trends and thinks that being trendy is a better option.

“I’m the anti-trend guy,” he said. “I’m very cynical about trends in general because frankly whatever you want is out there. So for me, I care more about who you are and how you want to present yourself to the world.”

“I find that when people chase trends they’re trying too hard. There’s nothing worse,” he added.

The fashion icon said that one trend he is sporting particularly this summer are his Transitions glasses – a perfect accessory to his very well known stylish identity.

“I would say that I’m a classicist as opposed to a traditionalist… I do make the distinction,” he said.

“I’m branded with these rimless glasses and I have for years and years wanted to experience Transitions lenses – the lenses that go from light to dark depending upon sun exposure.”

Gunn took off his glasses showing off the clear lenses. He said he never actually wore this type of optical but about two months ago decided he should try them out.

“It changed my life,” he said.

“You don’t even notice I’m wearing them… For me it’s just a seamless world and for you standing with me you would notice if we were to go outside the lenses getting darker but for me I don’t notice it at all.”

The glasses are made with a special lens that transition to sunglasses when struck by light – a very important addition to any wardrobe especially this summer.
“We really should protect our eyes from the UV rays and it’s been a great enhancement to my own style because I haven’t had to change it,” he added. “I haven’t had to compromise it. I haven’t had to say, ‘Well now I need different lenses. Now it’s going to be a different look.’”

Although he said he very rarely has them, Gunn called his newfound accessory a “fashion epiphany.”

It may not be known whether or not these helpful glasses will appear on the upcoming season of Project Runway, Gunn still spoke out about what he is looking forward to on the shows fourteenth season.

“Precisely what I love about this show is I don’t know what to expect other than we’ll have very tenacious, very vigilant designers who are talented,” he said.

“They’ll be presented with challenges - we won’t know how they’re going to respond to them,” he added. “We won’t know how they’re going to respond to the stress and the tensions that are just part of this show that never stops down for a break.”

Gunn said that his favorite part about working with the designers on the show is that he never knows what is going to happen.

“For me it’s the thrill of the unknown. I love giving them a challenge and thinking, ‘Where will they take this? ... I love their extraordinary talents and not knowing what they’re going to do.”

And even though not everyone can make it onto the hit TV show, Gunn still gave some advice to all the young fashionistas and aspiring designers looking to make names for themselves in the world of fashion.

“Have a point of view and know what it is and how to articulate it and that has to do with any area of the industry and if you’re a designer in particular know who your customer is,” he said.

Gunn said that while he was working at Parsons the New School for Design in Manhattan, he would talk to his own students when they struggled with assignments.

He would ask them, “Who’s this for?” and when they said they did not know, he would say, “That’s the problem… You need a customer. You need to know who she is or he is. “

It has not been announced when the fourteenth season of Project Runway is set to air but be sure to look for Tim and his rimless, transitioning glasses when it.

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