NEW YORK, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Liz Claiborne Inc. today announced that Tim Gunn will join the company as chief creative officer, effective March 5, 2007. In this position, Mr. Gunn will be responsible for attracting, retaining and developing the creative talent within the Liz Claiborne Inc. portfolio of brands. He will report directly to William L. McComb, chief executive officer, Liz Claiborne Inc.
ommenting on the announcement, Mr. McComb said: "Words cannot express how happy we are to have Tim on board as our 'Creative Dean.' His mission is twofold: return our culture to one that is friendlier to the creative process and help shape more competitive, consistent and compelling product.
To be clear, this role is not that of master editor -- the divisions will continue to have full control of the brand positioning and product design.
Rather, Tim will be a spokesperson for the creative community, a champion of product innovation, integrity and exceptional price-value and a catalyst for the creation of the irresistible product our consumers want and
deserve. He is also charged with creating systems to further develop our creative community and scouting the market for great talent."
McComb continued, "While we knew of and had great respect for Tim through his work at Parsons, we like many Americans got to know him even better through Bravo's Project Runway. Tim knows we fully support his Bravo projects, including his own upcoming series 'Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.' In fact, it is his involvement in these initiatives and the design world at large that will help keep Tim vital in this new role."
Mr. Gunn said: "Though this is not something I had envisioned for myself, I jumped at the chance to serve as a mentor, advisor and sounding board for the design and merchandising community within Liz Claiborne Inc. The talent that currently exists at Liz is phenomenal and I am up to the challenge of harnessing and focusing such strength. Bill, Trudy Sullivan and their entire team are infused with contagious energy and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to contribute to a company with such a pioneering heritage and broad consumer reach."
Previously, Mr. Gunn served as the chair of the Department of Fashion Design at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. He joined Parsons in 1982 and was associate dean from 1989 to 2000, when he assumed his current position. Since 2004, Mr. Gunn has been appearing on the Bravo television show, Project Runway, serving as mentor to the show's fashion designer contestants. Later this year, Mr. Gunn will also star in his own show on the network, "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style," based on his forthcoming book.
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