Branding and Tim Gunn

Is there anything Tim Gunn says to which we shouldn't listen? Here is his quote from an nymag.com article about the advice he gave to fashion graduates that had just finished at Parsons in 2004:

Now, when seniors tell Tim Gunn, the director of the Parsons fashion program, that they’re considering a summer in Europe or some lazy days at the beach, he tells them no. “They’ve got to get out there and brand themselves now,” he says. “The industry likes its talent fresh. You’re like a new car, and they want to still be able to smell the vinyl.”

The article also goes into a little bit of depth into four designer's aesthetics, and the markets to whom they are planning on selling their clothes. I am the most impressed with Natalia Allen's effort at branding herself. Her webpage looks phenomenal, and she seems to be an all around smart, innovative thinker. She has also done a lot of work since her graduation from Parsons in 2004. I think I am going to start following her blog.