Oh, the fierceness at Christian Siriano’s show!
By Nadine Kam
Photos by Nadine Kam
Christian Siriano lightens up for Spring/Summer 2010, with oceanic and volcanic themes.
Christian Siriano showed why he deserved to win “Project Runway” and validates the show’s claim to search for the next great American designer during his runway show Sept. 12 in the Promenade at the Bryant Park tents during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. The designer mostly known for dark, Victorianesque avant looks lightens up for spring with a show of whites, breezy gold satin-faced organzas with flounce details and nude “mummy-wrap” dresses with sheer horizontal-pleated silk chiffon overlays.
The invitation to the show included a graphic image of the oceanic print. The volcanic print was red.
His work has a maturity that some designers never achieve in their lifetimes. Some of his work in volcanic and oceanic prints drew gasps from audience members near me. Although we in Hawaii can identify with these forces of nature, his real inspiration is a woman traveling the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy. I especially loved the striking ocean blue-green metallics he presented, including a shimmery metallic linen classic trench. There’s a lot of shimmer, silver and whites turning up on all the runways, including metallic brocade shorts. In short, something you probably don’t have in your wardrobe and are not likely to find in a vintage shop, so will have to go out and buy, which is what designers and retailers want.
One other thing I’m noticing about spring is that lines are simple and clean, but details are coming from fine construction rather than stuck-on gewgaws and embellishments. If there is something sewed on, it’s sequins with the full range of full-on sparkle (Gottex, Jill Stuart) to tiny silver sequins halfway between shine and matte for more of a shimmery ethereal effect, rather than one that shouts “look at me!” I’m also seeing a lot of pretty dresses with bouyant or bubble skirts. Spring will be extremely pretty and polished.
This trench was in a beautiful seafoamy metallic blue-green.Wish you can see the true color. Sorry it’s faded out in this photo.
In the audience were Tim Gunn and Tori Spelling. People expecting a mob scene stayed away, but the show was extremely well-organized (unlike the Chado Ralph Rucci show later in the day), from admission to start time, and one of the great things about seeing the parade of styles Christian put together is, thanks to “Project Runway,” we all know the work he’s capable of doing, so we know that when we see a Christian Siriano design, we know it really is his work, and is not the work of an uncredited design team. Total fierceness!
If you watch the show on the video, you might see why it was one I didn’t want to end. The collection has distinctive Siriano signatures, but “Project Runway” always instills its contestants with the idea of striking a balance between creativity and wearability, and this collection is definitely wearable. Hopefully, he has manufacturing details in place so consumers will be able to find Sirianos on the retail floor.
One of several of Christian’s nude dresses with feminine flounce details.
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One of the finale ballgowns in Volcanic print, like Madame Pele personified.
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The man takes his bow. Check his shoes!
After the show, I hung out in the editors’ lounge at the Bryant Park Hotel, and when I returned to the tents, I saw a familiar face emerging. It was makeup artist Jessica Hoffman, who had also attended Christian’s show. It was drizzling for two days, which is why she has an umbrella.
