The kids are ALRIGHT!
Project Runway’ s fashion guru spills about his mini fashion is t as
Tim Gunn is back to work it for another season of Project Runway: Junior. He sits down with Woman’s Day to tell us all about mentoring a new generation of budding fashion designers.
You can be a tough critic on Project Runway. Did you have to hold back when it came to dealing with the kids?
I’m totally and completely open with them. I just feel it’s my responsibility that I need to be. They want you to bring it on, and they’re very mature and professional. I refer to them as old souls and I’ve said several times to them, “You’ve all been around before – you’re not fresh on this planet. You’re just too seasoned, too wise and too knowledgeable to be as young as you are.”
Would you ever consider coming over to New Zealand to promote the show?
I would come to New Zealand in a heartbeat! I want you to know something – I do not take any exotic travels on my own. The travelling that I do is always for business. But the honest truth, I am obsessed with New Zealand! I’m obsessed with the history, the geography and the geology – it has to be one of the most spectacularly stunning countries in the entire world. I’m eager to experience it.
Tell us something most people don’t know about Project Runway: Junior.
Something the audience may not realise is that the show follows the same time format as the regular Project
Runway, but because of the child labour laws, we can only have the teens on camera for a certain amount of time a day. So one day shown on an episode is actually shot across two days. Everyone reappears the next day in the exact same clothing because we’re having it appear to be one!
So far, there have been 15 seasons of Project Runway, with more on the way – could Junior go just as far?
Absolutely! People always ask me, “Aren’t you running out of people?” The answer is, well, no, there’s always a new crop. I think it could go on and on and on – I don’t know that I can, but the show definitely can!