Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano is one of reality television's favorite fashionistas. The youngest winner in Project Runway history, Christian sewed up the competition and shared his own fierce vocabulary with the world.

Though he ruled the runway, Christian says he second-guessed himself during the competition. "I think you kind of put on this persona that you have to be kind of powerful," he says. "Especially because I was so young. I was 21 years old, and everyone else was so much older than me and had so much more experience. So I was nervous."

Still, he had nothing to lose—Christian auditioned for the show with $20 to his name. "I was a freelance makeup artist, and I couldn't get a job in fashion," he says. "It was tough. New York City, it's real pricey. Especially if you shop like I do."

Now, Christian is one of fashion's fastest rising stars, designing everything from makeup to couture gowns!

Christian Siriano's brown cocktail dress

Christian brings some of his favorite fantasy gowns to Oprah's stage—including a look from his fall collection. "This dress is tiny, tiny petals of silk organza," he says. "We wanted this dress to be about sculpture but to still have movement."

Still, Christian knows how to bring high fashion back down to earth—these ferosh shoes are part of his holiday line at Payless ShoeSource.

Christian Siriano's Amalfi cocktail dress

This evening look from Christian's spring collection will serve as a work of art at any cocktail party. "We like to show that things can be sculptural and feminine but very soft and elegant in the same way," he says.

It also features the first print Christian's ever created. "The print is the Amalfi coast of Southern Italy, " he says. "It's about wave and water and movement."

Christian Siriano's Amalfi ball gown

In another look from his spring line, Christian dives deeper and constructs the bottom of this gorgeous gown to billow like a wave. "This is one of my favorite dresses," he says. "[The bottom] is one layer of crinoline, and it's just something that you use in underskirts. A lot of wedding dresses have them. We kind of lightly bubble it up. It's a technique."
Christian Siriano's black ball gown

Christian adds his own touch of spring to this black ball gown. The softly tiered layers give the dress an ethereal feel, while a bold, exposed zipper in the back adds some edge. "When I'm kind of creating something, I like it to be sculptural, but it's soft and has movement and that's what it's about," he says.
Christian Siriano shows a gown with a volcanic print.

Christian says fantasy is his biggest inspiration. "Everybody loves having a dream, and that's what it's about at the beginning," he says.

This dramatic look combines the beauty of the Amalfi coast with the ferocity of Pompeii. "This again is that same print but in a more volcanic kind of fabulous movement," he says.

Christian Siriano wedding gown

A wedding gown is often the piece that fashion dreams are made of. "This dress is tons of layers of tiered satin silk organza. Simple beaded bodice," he says. "Again, this is really for being dramatic and sculptural for that fantasy dream."
Christian Siriano's lace gown

Christian's grand finale is one of his all-time favorite creations. "This is all ombre-tiered, pleated lace," he says. "I love this dress because this is all hand-dyed and then hand-pleated. With just a simple bodice you don't need too much jewelry while being elegant."


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