Quality, Taste and Style
The phrase “Make It Work!” has become such a prominent fixture in our vocabulary, pop culture maven or not. As most know, in 2007, Tim Gunn penned his first book with Kate Moloney called Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style. I had avoided buying the perfectly pink bound style bible until I made a Memorial Day trip to Half Price Books. There it was. In all of it’s glory (and 30% off the already half price). It was mine.
To be quite honest, I wasn’t expecting much. But, although only halfway through, my love and admiration for Mr. Gunn has been rekindled. The guy knows his stuff and, I mean, he’s kind of like a father figure. A stylish one, at that. And I love the way it’s as if he’s reading it to me…his voice comes through page after page.
By far, my favorite excerpt from the book thus far has to be this paragraph about “Make It Work!”:
“Make it work!” is an enormously useful expression. I remember the first time I used it. It was roughly six years ago in one of my classes at Parsons. I find that often students who struggle with an assignment are inclined to abandon the struggle and begin again. This practice unnerves me, because it’s like playing roulette with one’s work. What assurance does one have that the next spin of the wheel will be successful? Important learning occurs when a struggle is examined and analyzed, diagnosed, and a prescription offered. Ergo, make it work. I believe that we all benefit from the make-it-work practice.
Words to live by.
