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What Does ‘Project Runway’ Star Tim Gunn Really Think Of Kanye’s Yeezy NYFW Clothes?

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 01:10 PST, Sep 16, 2016

Has Tim Gunn proclaimed that the emperor has no clothes? The beloved Project Runway mentor has once again declared that Kanye’s Yeezy NYFW clothes are “dumb” and “basic.” Worse yet, this year, he has added that anyone who wears Yeezy attire is “dumb.” So, what does Kanye say about this fashion expert’s critique?

About a year ago, Tim Gunn had told the Huffington Post that neither Kanye nor Kim liked him, as Gunn shared his opinion on West’s then current line. His analysis: Kanye’s clothes were “dumb” and “basic.”

“I think they’re a bunch of dumb clothes. Just basic pieces … He won’t [like that comment], but let me tell you, the whole Kardashian clan doesn’t like me, so no surprise there.”

Nearly a year has rolled by, and when Gunn recently spoke to Access Hollywood Live, his analysis of Yeezy was unchanged.

“I’m totally perplexed about why the fashion industry has not looked at these, frankly, dumb, basic clothes and cried, ‘hoax.'”

Although Kanye has not publicly responded to Gunn, he theoretically could have already rebuked Gunn’s criticism. Two days before he unveiled his fourth collection, Kanye spoke to Vogue and stated that he is not exactly creating fashion. He is creating apparel.

“Let’s say ‘apparel,’ especially for the style of clothes I make. I’m not saying that this is a fashion proposition, I’m saying that this is a human proposition.”

No matter how West defines his clothing, it is clear that Tim Gunn considers Kanye’s designs a bunch of malarky. He indicated this when he stated that the rapper’s models were pretty much just wearing underwear, not unlike the duped emperor in Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes.

“Kanye West is a sphinx without a riddle. I just don’t understand why people are so in awe. [The models in season four] are basically wearing stretch undergarments.”

Is this possibly the worst thing that Tim Gunn said? Not exactly. He declared that those who would buy the Yeezy clothes would actually be “dumber” than the fashion line itself.

“I think the only thing dumber than the clothes would be the people who would buy these clothes.”

Does this sort of criticism surprise West? No. While Kanye has not comment directly to the Project Runway mentor’s critique, earlier this summer, the rapper had spoken to W Magazine in response to his design aesthetic, his inspiration and his fashion collections. Even before he launched his fourth collection at NYFW, West had already determined that his designs will always be misunderstood by the masses. The magazine pointed out that West really yearned to be understood.

“To this date they do not understand who I am. They will not understand until after I’m gone. I am misunderstood and there is no one in fashion that’s on my side. Because if that’s the case, then take me and say, ‘Here’s your 80 people that work for you and here’s a straight up, honest deal for it.’ You don’t have to sign your soul away in order to. I don’t feel like.”

In one of his previous collections, the social media critique was that the fashion was an Ewok short of a Star Wars fan gathering, with long brown Obi Wan styled robes dominating the show. The loose fitting clothes lacked any sort of fire or color. If these garments walked the Project Runway stage, they would have been nixed by Nina Garcia in a heartbeat.

To further argue his point and declare his fashion line a hit, Kanye tried to equate what is considered successful in the music industry to what is deemed successful in the fashion industry.

“It’s like once you listen to the eighth Drake song in a row on the radio do you basically say he owns 80 percent of the radio? So when, when I sell 40,000 sneakers in one minute, does anyone raise their hand and say, ‘Hmm, maybe he can actually design something.'”

So far, nothing Kanye has designed has impressed Tim Gunn, no matter how many thousand sneakers West has sold. And Gunn’s opinion of Mrs. West has not improved either. Just a few months ago, the Project Runway mentor was invited by US Magazine to review Kim’s book Selfish. A favorite video amongst Tim Gunn and Project Runway fans, Gunn hysterically sifts through the book, picking out passages and photos that he finds appalling and déclassé.

He began his analysis by making it clear that he only cracked open the book for magazine writer Travis Cronin. Tim Gunn did not do this voluntarily.

“It’s only because of Travis that I am sitting here with this book.”

When Tim arrived to a two-page photo spread of Kardashian sticking out her tongue, Gunn implores young people to not give into this selfie trend. Snappier than a late-night comedian, the fashion mentor declared that he worries what future humans will think of our civilization if this is the only remnant found.

“What if this is the only thing that survives in the time capsule?”

Gunn continues to ridicule the vapid text and slams the book shut declaring that he lost a few brain cells just engaging in this book.

“I feel like my IQ is plummeting.”

Safe to say that the Kardashians and Kanye have a lot of work to do if they are ever to impress Gunn and most likely they still dislike him, as Gunn had previously stated.

Could Yeezy fans ask that perhaps Tim Gunn is not exactly in Kanye’s target market? Recently, the Project Runway mentor confessed to the AV Club that he (briefly) attended Woodstock in penny loafers, amongst the muddy, flower-power attired music fans that watched such bands as The Who, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix perform in the rain. Gunn is a mentor, teacher, and expert on style and fashion and most of all, taste. And when Gunn states that the emperor has no clothes, people are bound to listen.

What do you think of Tim Gunn’s analysis of Kanye West’s fashions?

[Featured Image by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 4]

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