Tim Goes Under the Gunn About Project Runway and His New Show

If you've noticed that there are lots of similarities between Tim Gunn's new show, Under the Gunn, and another one of Lifetime's fashion reality shows, it's because it began as the 13th season of Project Runway.

"I will be really honest with you," Gunn said over the phone recently. "At the time we were conducting the auditions, Under the Gunn didn't even exist."

Lifetime was casting another season of Project Runway but found out too late that its host, Heidi Klum, wouldn't be available for taping. Gunn and the other producers asked the designers if they wanted to wait for Heidi's schedule to clear up so they could be on a proper season of Project Runway, and, according to Gunn, "Everybody wanted to come to Under the Gunn."

That might have something to do with the show's new concept. Instead of mentoring the designers directly, Gunn will mentor Project Runway alums Nick Verreos, Anya Ayoung Chee, and Mondo Guerra as they lead three teams of four designers in competition against each other. Rachel Roy, stylist Jen Rade, and Marie Claire senior fashion editor Zanna Roberts Rassi will serve as the show's judges.

So how did Gunn feel about mentoring the mentors? Read on for more of his wisdom before his new show airs on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 9 p.m.

On Accepting Criticism
Getty

On Accepting Criticism

"I want to know when I need to right myself — when I need to correct something. And I'm generally grateful when people tell me. The one thing that I really can't abide, though, when it comes to criticism is someone who waits and waits and waits to tell you, when if they had only told you at the beginning of this infraction, you could have corrected it so much easier."

On Whether Project Runway Will Ever Do Menswear
Getty

On Whether Project Runway Will Ever Do Menswear

"Have you ever seen worse work than our menswear challenges ever? I haven't. I mean, actually, there was talk at one point about a menswear season. I said, 'Great — we'll have six people show up for the auditions.'"

On "Dumb" Clothes
Getty

On "Dumb" Clothes

"The two easiest things to do are to create dumb clothes and make jokes. And dumb clothes for me is a t-shirt. . . . And jokes for me are those things that we see walking the runway during a Paris Couture Week. To make real clothes that are innovative and believable is a huge challenge, and it's why when people do it well, the world cheers."

On Whether Contestants Ever Shock Him
Getty

On Whether Contestants Ever Shock Him

"I think I've been unshockable since the 1960s. But what dazzles me is when the designers are able to achieve in this incredibly tight time frame. I mean, it's quite remarkable, which is why when the judges start getting testy and overly critical about some matters, I really get my back up, because I want to say to them, 'You try it.'"

On What Makes a Good Mentor
Getty

On What Makes a Good Mentor

"The good mentor is a coach, a cheerleader, and a truth-teller. And my own particular approach is to pummel people with questions. I would never just walk up to someone and start speaking and offering critical analysis of their work without fully understanding (or understanding as well as I can) what that designer is really trying to achieve."