Christian Siriano Red Carpet Looks That Had Heads Turning

Christian Siriano's transformation from aspiring designer to red carpet mainstay is truly remarkable. His time on "Project Runway" introduced him to the world as a promising young designer. Today, Siriano's creations for celebrity clients have cemented him as one of the best artists of his generation, and his glamorous work has been especially fun to follow. 

For over a decade, Siriano has been responsible for some of the buzziest red carpet moments in pop culture history. He's built close relationships with several of the most fashionable singers and actors in Hollywood, and his female clients have praised his appreciation for a woman's form and dedication to inclusivity. He's also known to be highly collaborative and daring, which makes him even more sought after as a designer, especially for events like the Met Gala or the CFDA Awards.

For proof of these claims, here are some Christian Siriano red carpet looks that turned heads.

The year was 2019, and the Met Gala theme was Camp: Notes of Fashion. The theme was inspired by Susan Sontag's 1964 essay "Notes on 'Camp,'" and the fashion community had fun with it. Lady Gaga, one of the co-chairs of the event, transformed her red carpet appearance into performance art by changing into four different looks right there on the carpet. Stylist Law Roach came as Zendaya's fairy godmother and turned her into Cinderella. Katy Perry was a chandelier. But even with those and other memorable looks from that iconic night, the stunning Janelle Monáe in Christian Siriano goes down as arguably the best look of the event. "I am camp. It's embedded in my DNA," Monáe told Vanity Fair.

Monáe was walking art, too. She wore a custom Christian Siriano piece inspired by Pablo Picasso, one of her favorite artists. "Particularly, I wanted to highlight Picasso's African Period in the early 1900s," she said. The ensemble featured a variety of notable elements, including color-block paneling, lips, one eye over her breast (that blinked!), another on her arm, and a stack of hats. It was unbelievable, a testament to their creative partnership. "I sent that sketch to Janelle and she was like, 'This is it. This is major. I need the eye to blink,' and that was it. You have to sometimes just go with it, which is why it's a great collaboration," Siriano told Page Six about working with Monáe on the famous look.

Billy Porter broke the rules at the 2019 Academy Awards, adding another entry to his best-dressed moments. The Broadway star arrived in a show-stopping tuxedo dress made by Christian Siriano, and people are still talking about it. The top half was a tuxedo, and the bottom was a ball gown. Onlookers had lots of opinions about the ensemble, but no one could deny it was a feat of impeccable craftsmanship by Siriano. "I didn't really think so much about it, and then now we're like, 'Oh, it kind of was a moment,'" Siriano told "ET Style" about the gown. "It was just a really easy, organic thing that just turned into, I think, a big moment."

Porter bent the gender rules of fashion after years of wanting to wear a gown. In an essay he wrote for Vogue afterward, Porter noted that he first felt empowered in women's fashion when he wore boots for his work as Lola in "Kinky Boots" on Broadway, and he's been dressing according to that feeling ever since. "My goal is to be a walking piece of political art every time I show up," Porter said about his personal outlook on dressing for the red carpet. Porter knew Siriano was the right designer to help bring his vision to life. "I've loved him ever since he was on 'Project Runway.' He was the first person who understood that everybody wears clothes—not just size zeros. He's become the go-to person for all of the Hollywood women who are rejected by the fashion industry," Porter said of Siriano.

Every Met Gala brings a horde of new and unexpected looks, and 2019's Camp: Notes on Fashion brought that in spades, including Laverne Cox's black sculptural gown. "Camp for me is a self-referential art form. It comments on itself. Camp employs an invisible wink, a kind of pastiche with tongue firmly planted in cheek," Cox told Vogue, and the actor tapped Christian Siriano to bring her vision to life. 

Cox's references included Cristóbal Balenciaga designs of the '50s and '60s and John Galliano's work at Dior in the '90s. The inspiration resulted in a gown made of silk organza and metallic brocade, replete with Swarovski crystals and 200 hand-stitched ruffles. Cox's stylist noted that the team considered some other designers for the dress, but they ultimately "decided to move ahead with [Siriano's] all-black design to let the details make the statement."

Cox and Siriano have worked together numerous times since the 2019 Met Gala, and the looks they've created are just as jaw-dropping. In 2021, Cox wore one of Siriano's gowns to the Academy Awards. The fuchsia gown was inspired by an orchid and took over 1,000 yards of tulle to make. Then, in 2025, Cox sported a Christian Siriano jumpsuit with metallic balloon sleeves while attending the designer's New York Fashion Week show.

Christian Siriano is successful because he's talented, but he's also cultivated great relationships with many other artists, which has made him highly sought after. One of Siriano's most enduring relationships is with Lady Gaga, whom he's been dressing for years. Gaga wore some of the designer's clothes during her 2025 appearance on "Saturday Night Live," and Siriano took to Instagram to praise the singer. "Gaga in Siriano for SNL last night and you know what it feels just as fabulous from the first time I dressed her in 2008 when we met!" he said, referencing their many years of sartorial collaboration.

One of their best collaborations came in 2016 when Siriano dressed Gaga for the Oscars Luncheon. Lady Gaga was nominated for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song for her song with Diane Warren, "Til It Happens to You," which was featured in the movie "The Hunting Ground." Gaga marked the occasion in a custom peach Christian Siriano gown, one of the pieces that helped her transition to her current tamer style, compared to the more dramatic pieces she wore at the beginning of her career. "[It was] amazing, I've dressed her a bunch of times. She's awesome and musicians are really fun because they take different risks. They're not judged the same way as an actress. So it's fun!" Siriano told Billboard about dressing Gaga for the event.

Neither the stunning Lizzo nor Christian Siriano is afraid to make a statement — with their wardrobe or otherwise — so it's no surprise that one of the designer's most memorable red carpet looks was a black dress with "Vote" printed throughout. The singer wore the dress at the Billboard Music Awards in October 2020. The original version first appeared on a model on the runway at Siriano's show the September prior, and Julianne Moore posted a photo of herself in the dress, too. Lizzo's, however, was a custom version that was cut into a mini dress with one sleeve rather than the original full-length, full-coverage gown. "There's power in who you are [and] there's power in your voice. So whether it's through music, protest, or your right to vote, use your power, use your voice, and refuse to be suppressed," Lizzo said that evening on stage, per Vogue.

Siriano has dressed Lizzo on multiple occasions, and the singer has nothing but praise for the designer. Backstage at one of Siriano's fashion shows in 2025, Lizzo said in an interview with AP, "[Siriano] knows my body, and I appreciate him for celebrating bodies like mine his entire career ... Remember to vote dress? Iconic. Like, we only make moments together." Siriano feels the same about Lizzo. On X, he posted a photo of Lizzo wearing another one of his designs, writing, "Oh Lizzo we love creating for you so much!!"

The stunning Zendaya is one of the most exciting celebrities to see on the red carpet. For over a decade, she's worn memorable red carpet looks after another. Whether she's on the carpet at the Met Gala or promoting a movie she's starred in, the Emmy winner has made her looks just about as exciting as her projects. But there was a time in Zendaya's career when designers weren't keen to dress her, and her longtime stylist, Law Roach, had to work to convince the fashion community to put Zendaya in their clothes. Christian Siriano was one of the first designers to take a chance on the actress, and he hasn't stopped putting her in beautiful clothing since.

One of Zendaya's best Christian Siriano looks wasn't for the Oscars or a movie premiere — it was for a charity gala. In 2016, Zendaya wore a hot pink Christian Siriano suit to a gala for The Humane Society. The color looked great, and the suit was fitted to perfection. (And for the record, Siriano has dressed Zendaya for the Oscars, and she wore one of his designs for a feature in Vogue.) On Zendaya's 30th birthday, Siriano took to Instagram to share how much he loves working with the star. "Oh Zen it has been such an honor dressing [you] over these last 10 years," he wrote.

Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most fashionable first ladies in U.S. history, and many of her stylish moments have come since leaving the White House. Obama made headlines in 2018 with a striking pair of Balenciaga boots that she sported while promoting her book "Becoming." She was also the talk of the town when she wore a maroon Sergio Hudson ensemble to Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration. But just before she left her post as first lady, Obama arrived at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in a blue Christian Siriano dress the fashion community has yet to forget.

The dress fit Obama perfectly, and the blue complemented its wearer and the DNC background. While most women in politics stick to business attire, Obama broke the mold at the DNC with the ultra-feminine dress, and the juxtaposition was noted. When talking about the dress to Vogue, Siriano said, "It was about striking the balance with that dress. I think the top made it feel powerful and the bottom made it feel soft and kind of romantic. My personal opinion is that it represents her personality ... She's such a powerful woman and she is so strong, but she's also one of the kindest people there is. That's the balance of that dress: a simple silhouette that is still elegant and romantic and covered [up] in a different way."

Ashley Graham is one of Christian Siriano's biggest supporters, and he's one of hers. The duo has worked together for years, with Siriano dressing Graham for red carpet events and Graham returning the favor by regularly modeling in his shows. Graham wore one of Christian Siriano's best red carpet looks at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards in 2019. The black dress featured an exaggerated neckline, mid-length sleeves, and oozed Old Hollywood glamour. The dress was capped with a wide-brim fascinator, and it showed just how much Siriano loves dressing Graham.

Siriano and Graham's bond is rooted not just in fashion, but in their passion for body positivity as well. The two first met when Graham walked in the fashion show for Siriano's collection for Lane Bryant, and since then, they've continued working together to broaden beauty standards and feature curvy women more prominently in fashion. "For so long, you and I have been fighting to normalize every type of body, and we've seen a lot of changes," Graham said to Siriano in a conversation they had on an episode of "So Siriano." "But if you really take it back a step, even just 10 years, it did not exist the way that it did. You did not see us, and when I say us, I mean anybody who is outside the beauty norm of what it was just 10 years ago."

Janelle Monáe and Christian Siriano are a match made in fashion heaven. After their iconic 2019 Met Gala collaboration, they've continued to create several more, including the 2026 Met Gala. Siriano truly met the Costume Art theme with Monáe by putting her in a custom gown that made reference to her futuristic alter ego, Cindi Mayweather. The ensemble was best memorialized in video thanks to its moving parts and unbelievable details. "Thank you to the artisans and hands that built every fiber. It's an honor to showcase your work. Live moss 8 succulents, 4 moving butterflies, 2 dragons fly, 5000 black crystals, Motherboard, 230 electrical wires Ethernet polarized cables electrical server center wires [sic]," Monáe wrote on Instagram about the technological feat of fashion.

Based on what Monáe has worn from Siriano in the past, it's easy to assume she's game to wear anything the designer makes. But from what Siriano said to Page Six about working with the multihyphenate, their collaboration is a true partnership. "Usually if you disagree, she doesn't wear it so that's pretty easy, but for the most part I would say every time I've dressed her it's been like, this is the look, this is what it is, and it works. We've had a lot of really great moments," Siriano said.

Some people make clothes look spectacular, and Halle Berry is one of them. The Oscar winner has had multiple iconic fashion moments throughout her tenure as an actor, and even the most established designers have to fight to get Berry to wear one of their looks. "My entire career I wanted to dress one person at the Oscars, and that's Halle Berry," Christian Siriano said, per People. For the 2025 Academy Awards, he dressed Berry in a form-fitting gown with mirrored sequins that featured over 7,000 beads. The handmade gown, which was originally supposed to be featured as part of one of Siriano's collections, was ultimately omitted in favor of a debut on Berry.

The team worked until the very last moment to get the dress ready. It took three weeks for the designers to create, and they kept perfecting it until the night before the event. "The mirror sequins are such a pain, and they fall off very easily. And I was like, 'Oh my god, Halle is gonna get up and all her things are gonna be gone,'" Siriano said in an interview with InStyle about putting the dress together. Ultimately, it worked out. "We re-fixed every single piece. It was the first dress Halle tried on, and it was the dress she was gonna wear," he said.