For his Pre-Fall collection, Christian Siriano was thinking of sweet things. “This beautiful ombré silk is my homage to caramel,” he said during an appointment, showing a collection that included wide-leg pants with a shirt and long cape, and a simple open-back dress. The fluidity of the fabric adds elegance to an otherwise simple silhouette.
A collection of pieces in an abstract silver jacquard print, which he described as “our Hershey’s kiss.” He cut it into a slim spaghetti strap bodice with high thigh slits, and a bodice with exaggerated ruffle trim and a pair of matching trousers. A silver and black laser-cut lace became separates, too: a corset, an exaggerated ankle-length skirt, a crop top, and a handkerchief skirt. “We show it together, but you can pair it with a nice pair of black pants, or a nice pair of jeans and a fun pair of heels,” he said, holding up the bodice. “You could wear it to a New Years or holiday party or whatever – our thought was, how do you make it versatile for the evening?”
Siriano’s thoughts on the women who wear him Just because it’s always charming. “We’ve got a lot of different types of clients now; everyone’s looking at Minecraft a little bit differently, you know, and we have this age range.” In fact, it’s not that he’s playing it safe. Some of the best entries in the series embody a sense of whimsy and fantasy. Dresses in black velvet and pale pink silk appealed to the rawest vision of what an evening dress should be: a black bodice with pink ruffled cap sleeves and a puffed-out puff at the low waist. An oversized mermaid shirt that is instantly captivating. A black velvet shift dress was embellished with a dramatic ruffle trim at the hip, knee and calf, before coming together in a subtle ruffled train – it was minimalist minimalism doctrine vision. “My last show was at Elizabeth Taylor’s townhouse, and it was such an amazing thing, it made me realize, ‘Oh, I think people really miss this glamor. ‘ So I guess I’ll stick around a bit longer.”
