Drama.
Siriano has been my favorite since his days on Project Runway. For such a young designer, I always felt that he possessed great foresight and I’d even venture to label him as avant-garde.
Maybe he sees a woman’s body differently than other designers; Siriano is able to convey so much more than just his design with this collections. There is emotion there; there’s a story.
His choice in fabrics always is an ingredient in the recipe for his designs. There are always silks, organza, wools, cashmere…the list of high end fabrics goes on. The fabrics and textures play a very large role in the story Siriano is trying to tell.
As I sat near the runway and the show began, I was instantly enamored with this line.
The show started nice and slow, all black everything (even the catwalk was black!!); pieces that were layer-able. I saw a lot of blazers, tuxedo jackets and tweed jackets paired with black sheer silk asymmetrical skirts. Siriano blended the composition of his jackets, either paneling it with black leather, black silk or even black mongolian lambswool. This is an effective way of using texture to show depth when keeping the color monotone.
There was excessive use of different types of outwear. Styles ranged from double-breasted tweed jackets to motorcycle jackets to shawl collar jackets (my favorite kind!). Something about an enlarged lapel adds mystery and drama to an ensemble.
If I could liken this part of his line, it looks to me something one of the Olsen sisters would wear while running errands.
The first half of this collection was head-to-toe black with hints of charcoal; Siriano incorporated knits (turtleneck) and wide-leg high-waisted trousers in a dense charcoal color. My favorite was the cashmere cropped jacket with the black turtleneck and leather skirt with ruffled organza bottom. Something about ruffles and organza just scream “Wear ME!!”.
There was also another “to die for” piece that I absolutely loved; it was a black turtleneck with a long satin organza tulip skirt. Tulip skirts are amazing as they allow you to have movement, give a little peep of leg but still be covered up without looking dowdy.
There was one print, titled “Black Orchid” which seemed to be a blend of black and a moss green hued orchid. There was a pencil skirt with a side ruffle in this particular print paired with a black turtleneck and one shoulder silk draped dress with the side ruffle as well.
And then there was the mauve and moss, the change in color was welcome and refreshing. I could see this color palette being the go-to colors for the fall, they are very soft and very cool colors, ideal for autumn and winter.
There were a lot of draped silk dresses. Draping, in its nature, adds instant drama and draws your eye to the piece. This technique works so well with silk, the end result being a soft-spoken but elegant piece.
The sheer silk blouse in moss paired with wide leg trousers of the same color was an interesting combination. Same color combinations like this are usually done in black and it was interesting to see this color paired with itself. It was a very clean and polished look, something fitting for the office as well as dinner and drinks.
Then there were the trumpet skirts…le sigh. Something about the trumpet skirt is so very girly and romantic, whimsical even.
The last two pieces of this line were elaborate dresses. One was all black tulle one shoulder draped dress with a two-tiered ruffled skirt. As this piece came down the runway, the sheer movement of the piece made it impossible to take your eyes off. It was beautifully black and draped and layered, there was so much dimension to this piece. It looks like it would be a fun piece to wear. The Lincoln Center Costume Ball comes to mind.
The last piece was all Christian. It was dramatic and daring and fierce. The top was a short sleeved blouse in very sheer charcoal silk. The skirt was huge and elaborate; silk organza in mauve covered in ruffles. It looked like it was all pin-tucked in certain places, add further texture and dimension.
All the shoes in this show were of Siriano’s design as he is fully utilizing his partnership with Payless ShoeSource. His shoe collection comprised of his rendition of the classic pump. All shoes carried his signature blunt, hoofed toe shape. There were booties, iterations of the pump in varying textures and colors with stud detailing throughout. There was also a tall boot (Tall-Shaft Armor Bootie)- with gladiator like qualities paired with buckles. This shoe is versatile in that the shaft piece may be removed for a more subdued look. Portions of his shoe line will be in stores this September.
This line was the more subdued of the Siriano’s past collections but it also was very mature and well thought out. He choose four colors for this line and used differing textures and prints to add dimension and drama to this line.
I was fortunate enough to get to go backstage where Siriano stood waiting for the rush of press, photogs, etc. He greeted and thanked friends and as I stood there looking at this fray unfold, I was awed. This man is no more than a few inches taller than me (with his “Fierce” hair and glasses) and tiny. It’s amazing to me that something so beautiful and large and dramatic could come out of someone so small.
As a big fan of Siriano, I’m very proud to see how far he’s come and to see his vision evolve as it has. I believe that he is one of the new generation of designers that has longevity in this industry and I can not wait to see what he has for Spring 2012!
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[New Post] Christian Siriano Autumn/Winter 2011 – via @JohnSimonDaily http://johnsimondaily.com/2011/02/christ… @csiriano #nyfw #mbfw
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