Jessica Herman

"Let's put it this way. I never dress my women in black and red. It's just gross," says Mark Gill as he dips a pair of poised fingers onto a platter of nuts, cheese and fruit. The image consultant, handbag designer and fashion-show producer is offering examples of the kind of advice that guests will hear at his first monthly roundtable on how to wear black.

Unlike a "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" one-time makeover, Gill generally prefers to build a minimum two-year relationship with his clients in Chicago and New York; he adamantly distinguishes himself from "stylists." Leading courses to groups of mostly business professionals is a recent pursuit for him. Besides monthly roundtables at the W hotel's restaurant, Wave, Gill has started teaching seminars to groups of women at law firms. He gives them an overall foundation to "wardrobing;" in an hour-long session, he teaches dozens of women on a range of topics, from the universal-fit pant and knowing where to shop to learning the items that should never be compromised.

"I like maximizing people's character," he says and describes himself as "lifestyle focused."

Eight years ago, Gill started raiding the closets of his Banana Republic clients and charged them $50/hour for him to "analyze their needs and throw out the crap." Once he was anointed with the title of Banana's top performer in the world for selling $1.8 million of clothing in a year, Gill's profession took off. Now he's dressing high-profile professionals who pay $300/hour for an initial "needs analysis."

"I literally create outfits for some people from day to day to week to week. I go into their homes, drown myself in outfits and log them into the computer," he says, explaining the types of outfits he arranges from "dressy business" or "casual chic" to "casual Saturdays" or "golfing attire."

"So you're an image consultant?" "That's who I am," he nods, and sipping water from a wineglass, offers the terms he uses to compliment his clientele. "I like to say 'genius,' 'brilliant' and 'fucking hot.' And I hate the word fabulous."

(2004-09-08)

Also by Jessica Herman

The art of the discount
Exercising a kind of affirmative action, Lincoln Park Athletic Club offers an artist's discount
(2004-08-31)

Boutiqueville
Unlike department stores, boutiques give shoppers a chance to bag one-of-a-kind items while allowing local designers to get their name on the shelf
(2004-08-31)

Unabashedly cheesy
"This guy, a little old man who wears a bow tie and carries his milk in a pail, makes four wheels of cheese each day...
(2004-08-25)

Bird watching
The former banker and self-described "event-planner" originally got into vintage erotica--calendars and posters from the forties and fifties that featured anyone from anonymous broads to stars like Rita Hayworth--when he was selling comics at trade shows
(2004-08-25)

Pretty in pink
(2004-08-17)

Shopping around
(2004-08-10)

Unstoppable
(2004-08-03)

Cupping runneth over
(2004-07-27)

Fancy fleas
(2004-07-13)

iSpin
(2004-07-13)

Sexy city
(2004-07-06)

Crayon politics
(2004-06-29)

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