Fast Company – May 2019

through 28, unheard of in an otherwise hip-

bone-loving indus try, and partners with afford-

able brands such as Home Shopping Network

and TJ Maxx. This spring, Siriano returns to

Bravo’s Project Runway to take over for Tim Gunn

in the role of mentor—a sign that he’s definitely

made it work. Here’s how.

FIND OUT WHAT EXCITES CUSTOMERS

Last year, Siriano opened the Curated NYC, a

concept store nestled in a multistory brown-

stone in Midtown Manhattan, with pink velvet

couches, a sweeping staircase, and colorful

artwork lining the walls. Here, his $30,000

couture gowns hang alongside $20 T-shirts

from ready-to-wear company Universal Stan-

dard, accessories from Objectifs, and luxury

shoes from Brother Vellies. The experience is

meant to feel at once familial and frothy, and

available to everybody—the opposite of what

Siriano felt as a student, when he was too in-

timidated to set foot in Bergdorf ’s or Barneys.

“The traditional way of selling clothes doesn’t

really work anymore,” he says. By stocking

products at low and high price points, he can

draw in more customers and, he says, “learn

what people want, what they’re interested in,

and what is exciting today.”

CULTIVATE FANS EVERYWHERE

Almost immediately after winning Project

Runway, Siriano began forming lucrative part-

nerships with a range of brands, some obvious

(Lane Bryant) and some not (Starbucks, for

which he designed a gift card). At the time,

he says, these types of collaborations were

considered risky for a young designer with couture aspirations—all the more so if

they were with lower-end brands. (His Payless partnership began in 2008, though

its future is uncertain given the company’s recent bankruptcy filing and impend-

ing liquidation, which Siriano declined to comment on.) Siriano embraced the

opportunities, believing that having his name out in the world would build brand

recognition and, ultimately, a better fan base. “You never know where your customer

comes from,” he says. “Maybe she’s a Payless customer right now, but in six months

she could get a job that changes her whole life and become your Neiman Marcus

customer.” Siriano is also drawn to partnerships that resonate personally. In 2018

he began working with TJ Maxx to design clothes, accessories, and more, because

his mother shops there. Last summer, he became a spokesperson for Transitions

Lenses, because, he says, “I wear glasses every single day. I actually live that life.”

LISTEN TO CRITICS—WHEN THEY’RE RIGHT

Siriano insists that the only way to make it work in fashion is to tune out the nay-

sayers. “It’s such a hard business. You dress somebody on

the red carpet, and somebody says in an instant whether

they love it or hate it.” Sometimes, though, it pays to listen.

In February, the popular Instagram account Diet Prada,

which polices copycat moments in fashion, called out two

dresses from Siriano’s latest collection, comparing them

to older Maison Valentino gowns. Siriano responded by

immediately pulling the pieces and apologizing on Insta-

gram. “We move so fast and you have to be on it, and own

it when you’re not,” he says. “Everybody makes mistakes

in this business. But if you don’t own up to them, what are

you even doing?”

26 FASTCOMPANY.COM MAY 2019

Colorful Collaborations

SIRIANO HAS STRETCHED THE BOUNDARIES OF WHO (AND WHAT) FASHION

DESIGNERS COLLABORATE WITH—TO DELIGHTFUL EFFECT.

O-CEL-0

Sponges

PAYLESS

Shoes and

accessories

DERMIRA

Sweat medication

fashion guide

LANE

BRYANT

Clothing line

HOME

DYNAMIX

Rugs

E.L.F.

COSMETICS

Makeup line

PUMA

Uniforms for Women’s

Professional Soccer

League

DISNEY

Dresses for

Minnie Mouse

HOME SHOPPING

NETWORK

Clothing line

STARBUCKS

Holiday gift

card

Christian

Siriano

COMPANY Christian

Siriano Holdings

POSITION Fashion

designer

FIRST JOB Making

smoothies at Orange

Julius

NEXT

N Master Class

PUSH BOUNDARIES

In 2016, actress and comedian Leslie Jones

took to Twitter to call out the lack of designers

interested in dressing her for the Ghostbusters

premiere. Within the hour Siriano volun-

teered, and he’s been a staple on red carpets

ever since. While other designers often con-

ceptualize their clothes for a specific body

type or form, Siriano says his curvy mother

and “tiny ballerina” of a sister have inspired

him to take a more inclusive approach. Be-

fore he even begins constructing a dress,

he envisions how it would work in different

sizes. “I’m not just thinking about one body

anymore,” he says. “I’m thinking about the

range of people.” This helps him create looks

that women of all sizes are eager to wear, in

and out of the spotlight.

BEST BUY

Phone

accessories

TRANSITIONS

LENSES

Glasses

Random Natural Fit

Quirky, but

Perfect