He may have been the catalyst for positive change in the lives of hundreds of body-loathing women, but style guru Gok Wan searches for his own source of inspiration each and every morning.

‘Every single day I have a little word with the mirror,' the 34-year-old host of reality show, Gok's Fashion Fix says. ‘I think, "Oh, bloody hell, what am I going to do with this today?"

Once tipping the scales at 133kg, the slight star, who was recently in New Zealand offering advice to bespectacled Kiwis as the style ambassador to Specsavers Opticians, is more qualified than most to offer life-changing advice. He admits that even now he still battles with his fair share of body hang-ups.

‘I'm as confident and unconfident as the next person,' he says. ‘I have my days where I hate the way I look and I hate my wardrobe and everything about it. But then I have days when my confidence is intact.

‘Everyone has some form of low-level body dysmorphia,' he adds. ‘Whether they hate their arms, feet, thighs, stomachs - we all suffer from it. I'm aware of my stomach, that's my area. It's not as flat as it could be.'

Armed with words of encouragement, it's Gok's self-esteem boosting approach and genuine love for the female form that makes women around the globe adore him.

‘I love the idea of turning women into beautiful objects and naturally enhancing all of that,' he says. ‘I don't tell them that they're fat, or that they need to lose weight or that they need surgery. My job is to make people feel confident about what they wear, and to [encourage them to] wear it for themselves, not for someone else. I've never played the bitch, and I'm not into humiliation.'

Success didn't come easily for the flamboyant fashionista, who struggled with a string of issues as an adolescent. At school, Gok was bullied for being overweight, part Chinese and gay.

‘That's a pretty powerful combination if someone wants to pick on you,' he says. ‘And they did; all the time. I became quite mouthy and loud. I think a lot of people who are picked on do that, or they become the class clown. It [seems to] deflect all the problems.'

Eager to channel his creative genius, Gok attended drama school, but before long he realised it was making him miserable.

‘I was like a fish out of water,' he recalls. ‘I was surrounded by white upper-middle-class kids whose parents took them shopping in New York in the weekends and picked them up in expensive cars. I was trying to get jobs in pubs and living in a scruffy bedsit. I didn't make any friends, believe me!'

A star is born

Gok then entered the world of fashion, doing hair and make-up for a style magazine, and for the past 10 years he's worked with a long list of celebrities, including Joan Collins, and as a fashion consultant.

‘Joan lived up to all my expectations,' he says. ‘That lady really rocks. In fact, she out-shopped me, which is quite something.'

In 2006, as the presenter of How To Look Good Naked, Gok embraced the task of convincing women that their bodies are something to be proud of.

‘I take on the women as if they're friends of mine, because that's the way I know how to deal with people's problems,' he says. ‘I'm honest and down to earth, and I think people appreciate that.

‘A whole lot of it's about acceptance,' he adds. ‘You have to form a relationship with your body again.'

He says he gleans inspiration from a number of A-list stars.

‘Audrey Hepburn is my style icon, and I'd love to style Sarah Jessica Parker,' he says. ‘She really has it going on and is a great influence in fashion.'

Since losing 64kg as a result of a crash diet in his late teens, Gok is mindful of how he treats his body, but says it doesn't rule his life. Despite his star status, the hands-on host insists he's anything but a diva, and says he's still searching for Mr Right.

‘I'm auditioning for a boyfriend at the moment,' he laughs. ‘It's an open audition, let's put it that way. I want to have kids, get married and work three days a week.'

He's equally optimistic about where the fashion industry is heading.

‘At the moment it's all about the size zero, but I do believe it's slowly changing. People are beginning to listen and realise that's not what real people and living real life is all about. Getting size-14 mannequins in shop windows was a big step forward, and I have a few more crusades that I intend to launch.'

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