Since his big win on Project Runway in ’08, Christian Siriano has launched a label, dressed some of Hollywood’s biggest names, and continues to make a statement by casting women outside the stereotypical industry body type. And to quote Tim Gunn, he always finds a way to “make it work.” The designer recounted his journey at Fashionista’s “How To Make It In Fashion” conference. We rounded up some of his best soundbites.
On his first elevator pitch…
“It was our first time showing our fall collection, and Saks was the first retailer to see our stuff. I was like, ‘We could show you anything you need, no problem…it comes in every color…’ [When actually] it doesn’t. There was a little bit of finessing in the beginning because I really wanted that sale. I wanted that great moment; and we did end up getting an order that was amazing. I was just good at pretending like I could, even though I didn’t know.”
On the early stages of opening his own label…
“I came in the industry in a very different way because I had this TV experience. I was a young kid who had never done anything, really, [had] just graduated from college, and after being on the show I had millions and millions of people wanting product from me. I literally had nothing to give them because I had no idea what I was doing. I had to quickly figure it out. I showed the collection really early on, and we started partnering with really great brands to have something out there [so] people could hopefully fall in love with the Christian Siriano brand. That’s how I started, and that’s why I decided to go into my own business. Now, 10 years later, you would think every year it gets easier, but it’s so much harder because I’m growing and building.”
On finding a business partner…
“I had a great manager early on who worked in the industry for a long time, and she was really helpful. She helped me get my partnership with Payless, which is a big part of our company now, and she helped me make decisions early on. Unfortunately, not everyone in the industry will give you the best advice because it’s based on their persona. I think my whole career is totally nonconventional. Everything I do is different from everyone else, which is OK.”
On the evolution of his celebrity clientele…
“We have dressed such a diverse group of women on the red carpet, which I love. It’s so fun for designers because we get to have our dream and fantasy come to life on someone who is iconic. Early on, it was very random. Some of the first people we dressed were everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to Christina Hendricks, which was a huge cultural moment for people, because she has such an amazing body and her personality is so iconic. That’s my favorite part about red carpet dressing—we try to celebrate as many people as we can, if I’m a fan or if I’m interested. There are tons of actors and actresses who maybe aren’t the It girls in Hollywood, but I still love their movies, so I would still like to dress them because it’s fun for me.”
