Born to Be Brad: My Life and Style, So Far
“If you are in search of a mindless read, are a rabid fan of Mr. Goreski, and have little to no fashion expertise, then this book is for you for you. But if you have any fashion expertise or issues with gay men, then I suggest you take a pass as there are often TMI (too much information) moments.”
If this is meant to be more than a ploy to garner more publicity for this kid, then this book is in serious trouble. Early on in this less than modest book, we find our protagonist, Brad Goreski comparing his bullied childhood to that of Lady Gaga and Kate Middleton . . . PUHLEESE!
Mr. Goreski is not the first boy that grew up in some cow town and discovered he was gay—nor will he be the last one. This is a coming of age scenario that has been played out many times in the past and will continue for many years into the future. This time it plays out like a bad version of Desperately Seeking Susan with Mr. Goreski in the starring role. Okay, so he was bullied in school as has almost every child who grew up knowing he or she was gay, yes he did come from a family of some wealth, yes there are striking similarities to that of him being just like Michael Alig and yes he turned into and recovered from being a cokehead.
So what?
So have thousands of others kids and there is apparently not much that makes him special other than being a reality show personality that people, with freakish curiosities, find amusing and appealing.
This is not a book for a seasoned fashion person as Mr. Goreski has a resume as long as his pinky and a breadth of knowledge that barely spans pre 1980.
There are some glaring delusions that Mr. Goreski labors under:
#1 Holt Renfrew is not like Barneys, but it is more like Bergdorf Goodman;
#2 How does a waiter maintain a coke habit?
#3 Courtney Love and Molly Ringwald are not fashion icons in the same class as Cary Grant;
#4 One needs to know there was such a person named Polly Mellen and yes, hard as it is to believe, she was the one who made the world aware of what a stylist does and not Rachel Zoe.
Before writing this book, and I use that phrase loosely, Mr. Goreski really should have had it read by someone who has been in this business and might know that when on a shoot with Grace (Coddington) and the inspiration was 1950s that a tight fitted top with a flare skirt from Dior was “New Look” and very apropos (given the assumption that you know any fashion history) of the time and not rocket science as he would have us think.
One last little thing he might have figured out if he wasn’t so star struck and impressed with himself: Fashion is not just about brands, but it is about taste and style—yes style—hence the moniker stylist with some substance thrown in!
If you are in search of a mindless read, are a rabid fan of Mr. Goreski, and have little to no fashion expertise, then this book is for you for you. But if you have any fashion expertise or issues with gay men, then I suggest you take a pass as there are often TMI (too much information) moments.