Love him or hate him, this is the guy who is an uber flamboyant fashion stylist with 2 very successful TV shows- "How to Look Good naked" and my fave "Gok's Fashion Fix" (UK), especially the Fashion Face Off part, which we'll come to later. As one journalist put it “Gok Wan, the campest, gayest man to grace the nation’s televisions since Kenny Everett?” ... whose camp charm and smiley demeanour showed a man who really wanted to help. He is televisual Prozac." Yup that's Gok, he's like a fashion fairy godmother, transforming the nation into better dressed people with his little fashion fixes and love for high street labels as well as instilling self confidence in those who lack it with the use of clothes. After all, that is how he transformed himself, back in the days when he 21 stone...
So i've heard some interesting & unpleasant things said about him when he's working off-screen, his personality & sometimes crude sense of humour, both of which can be taken a bit too far..., but aside from that there's really no one quite like him. I read a great article in The Times this morning, you have to check it out here. What do you think?
Anyhow, his Fashion Face-Offs on Gok's Fashion Fix are worth watching because you see him contend against talented fashion experts (Editors, stylists etc..) working with the same fashion trends given. Both have to dress their own models showing off their creations with 2 very different budgets on a Catwalk face-off.
Fashion experts work with luxury designer labels & budget (ie. incredulous, unlimited funds) and Gok works with a high street budget of usually around 300 quid. The audience then decides which looks they think is more expensive/like more. Usually ole Gok wins!
Here are some examples of his previous Fashion Face-off looks from his Channel 4 Show, " Gok's Fashion Fix", the new show starts on May 25th, it's a bummer i can't watch it over here though!
I love Gok's ability to literally transform a cheapo dress (one that isn't designer) into something way more exquisite looking with accessories and a little craftista on the sewing machine.
I pulled these images a long time ago and remember the show vaguely. I think the dress on the left was originally a River Island dress, but the hem was ruched up with some sewing and the dress may have been strapless number but he took the extra black fabric from the waist band, cut it off and twisted & folded it then tucked it into a separate waist belt for some jaw dropping Avant-garde action. The orange dress on the right was one length before Gok took to the scissors and cut and asymmetric hem. The necklace was created with a bit of haberdashery... instant glamour!
I don't really know how i can explain what Gok did here in the playsuit on the left, but i remember it wasn't a halter neck for sure. That piece that's folded and pleated for the halterneck, was cut off from the playsuit, wish they still had the originally piccies from the 1 series to show you.Sources & images via: Telegraph, Daily Mail, Channel 4