Why You Don't Hear About Christian Siriano Anymore
Christian Siriano first found fame when he won the fourth season of Project Runway. His designs were unique and caught the eye of the judges and audience of the reality show. After his television success in 2007, Siriano went on to create his own line, with celebrities spotted wearing his designs.
But recently there hasn't been much buzz surrounding the designer. Is he still focused on fashion? Are celebrities still eyeing his designs? The answer to those questions is yes. So if he is still reaching major success, why is his name not out there like it used to be? He's working hard behind the scenes to expand his brand and give focus to sizes beyond zero.
Let's take a closer look as to why you don't hear about Siriano anymore.
He married his long-time partner
Planning a wedding takes some serious time, and that is just what Siriano dedicated his hours to back in 2016. He married musician Brad Walsh in July 2016 at their vacation house in Connecticut.
The couple had specific reasons for choosing their location. As they shared with BRIDES, Connecticut was the spot "because it's got plenty of serene outdoor space and it's our favorite sanctuary away from the noise of the city."
While the wedding may have taken up much of Siriano's focus, that doesn't mean he stopped designing. In fact, the designer put his skills to the test when it came to the attendants he and Walsh chose for their big day. As they shared during the interview, "Since there was no bride, we wanted our best friends to wear white gowns, all from Christian Siriano, of course, as they stood by our sides during the ceremony."
Starting as a reality star has made success more difficult for the designer
While Project Runway is a popular show and gave Siriano the attention he needed to kick-start his career, some would say it made it more difficult for the designer to make a name for himself in the fashion industry. While his looks are in many stores, they are missing from some high-end shops.
As fashion advocate Nicolette Mason described to Elle, there may be a reason why Siriano's designs aren't seen at all high-end locations. She said, "I think there is definitely a little bit of reality television stigma, and the idea of people who are given this kind of 'industry darling' label are people who have gotten the stamp of approval from the industry from the onset."
He's been working hard behind the scenes
Despite the purported reality television stigma, time has shown that Siriano's start in reality TV has not stopped his brand and business. The designer has worked hard for his success, and that may just be one of the reasons why Siriano isn't in the news often; he is working to keep up this success in the industry. When you're working that hard, there isn't as much time to be in the spotlight yourself.
During an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Siriano spoke to the importance of hard work for success. He said, "My biggest thing is you just have to work hard. You have to be obsessed with it because it's a really tough business."
He lets his designs speak for themselves
Siriano has been known for his dramatic fashion. When one thinks of the designer's style, it's hard not to think of the beautiful, ornate dresses he has created in the past. They are his calling card.
However, Siriano has created some looks that may not automatically be associated with his usual look. For instance, for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama wore one of Siriano's numbers. This blue dress was elegant and sophisticated, but it wasn't a dramatic ball gown. Similarly for Leslie Jones, who shared that no one would dress her for an upcoming movie premiere, he created a beautiful red carpet look for the star.
You may not immediately think of Siriano when you see these designs, but he wanted to show that he could make a statement piece without it being what is expected of him. He told Glamour, "They're actually very, very simple pieces, but they were very powerful. [Obama] chose to be simple and a bit demure because her speech was so powerful and was such an important moment... not everything has to be an embellished piece to be powerful and beautiful."
He dedicates his time to creating fashion for all shapes and sizes
Designing for Leslie Jones is just one example of Siriano's focus on designing clothes for all shapes and sizes. This has not been a norm in the fashion world, where size zero is the common sample size. Taking the time to do this also means not being in the spotlight as much.
Fashion advocate Mason addressed this issue with Elle, saying, "I always hear brands and designers rush to the defensive on that, like, 'It's so expensive to have multiple samples, and we can only afford to do this and that.' It actually does become a choice, after a while, for a brand to not create other samples, because the press it's generating out of those opportunities and red carpet moments is so worth it."
Siriano takes the time to give focus to all sizes. As reported by Fashionista, the designer even partnered with Lane Bryant in 2016, designing a line for the plus-size retailer. He works hard to be able to give more options to the customer.
He took time away to write his book
Siriano hasn't been just busy with his fashion designing, but took what little free time he had to write a book called Dresses to Dream About, which was published in November 2017.
The book shows a variety of looks that Siriano has designed throughout the years. As he shared with Glamour, "I didn't choose every major red-carpet moment — I didn't choose every piece that I think people responded the most to. Some of my favorite dresses in the book are just favorites, that maybe nobody has ever worn. I just like them."
Dedicating the time to writing and publishing a book is no joke, but it was time Siriano wanted to invest in the project. He had a goal he wanted to achieve with the book. He said, "I want to show that all these women can like look beautiful in my clothes. That's always been really important. Sometimes the challenge becomes making sure that it's right for the person that I think would want to wear them, [and] to show that you can still have a voice but dress all these different types of people."
He's been working on his next season of style
The fashion industry is always moving forward, with designers in early 2018 already showcasing their Pre-Fall 2018 looks. This is just what Siriano has been working on as well. And what was the designer's inspiration for his new line? His mom.
As Vogue reported, the designer discovered a portrait of his mom from the 1970s and wanted to further explore the decade. It looks like the hours of behind-the-scenes work and dedication have paid off. Vogue shared that the new line stayed true to Siriano's ladylike aesthetic with options for everyone. According to Vogue, the lineup is full of crowd-pleasers an we can't say we're surprised.
The designer gave special attention to his new client, Barbie
It's safe to say that in 2017, Siriano had the chance to dress one of the most iconic stars of all time: Barbie.
The designer created five different looks for the inclusive body type line that was launched for Barbie last year. This was the exciting part for Siriano, who shared in a statement (via People), "It's especially exciting to be designing an array of inclusive and diverse doll looks that can allow girls to see themselves better represented when they play."
As People shared, some of the looks were based on Siriano's actual designs for celebrities over the years. Siriano has a mission and continues to give focus to it, no matter how much hard work behind the scenes that it takes. He told People, "I don't go after the young, new It Girl. They're fabulous, but what's exciting to me is seeing someone different on the carpet looking amazing, like Leslie Jones or Meg Ryan or Danielle Brooks, whom I love so much."
He is expanding to other areas of the fashion industry
It's not just new clients like Barbie for the designer. Siriano has expanded into other areas of fashion, which might have kept him under the radar for those looking for him solely in the realm of runways. As he told the Houston Chronicle, he is a doing a new collaborate with e.l.f. Cosmetics. In addition to that collaboration, Siriano ended up getting involved with another new product: press-on nails. What inspired the designer to go down this path? It began with a negative experience.
He shared, "It started from New York Fashion Week. The models backstage had really horrible nails from other shows and things. We needed to find something quick. So I worked with this company, and we were able to do it so fast. That's why these nails are awesome. Literally, you put them on, and then you take them off."