NEW YORK (AP) — With Janet Jackson resplendent in a black pantsuit on his front row and beautiful hats in many of his designs, Christian Siriano opened New York Fashion Week at the former home of Elizabeth Taylor, looking sexy and sleek on Wednesday. to go with his signature ball gowns.
He was inspired by Taylor, of course, for a show steeped in Old Hollywood, but told The Associated Press that a host of style icons were also muses: Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Bianca Jagger and Judy Garland among them.
“I was watching the girls rehearsing and I was like, oh my God, imagine Elizabeth Taylor in her heels walking up these marble stairs. How fabulous. It’s great to be here,” Siriano said.
Taylor lived in the six-story French Revival townhouse, now nestled among Midtown office buildings, for several years in the 1950s during its Michael Todd era. It is now an art space.
Siriano’s collection fit right in between the long winding staircases his models walked. It was a bit of everything as he changes his business model to a more seasonal approach. That’s what his luxury customers want, he said.
Wide-brimmed hats stole the show in black, royal blue and bright red. There was plenty of sparkle and an asymmetrical array of tiered oversized bell sleeves in a high-neck evening gown in white. One sleeve started at the shoulder and the other at the elbow.
Among his trademark show stoppers was a blue skirt dress teamed with a sparkly black spaghetti strap top with a cinched waist and long black gloves to match. A riot of clothes adorned a long-sleeved gold dress, and on another he placed narrow stripes in gold and black.
“This show is really about getting back into glamour,” Siriano said. “I really wanted this. My clients are really asking for it, especially now. They were trapped for so long. It’s like, what can I wear that’s the most extravagant, fabulous thing?”
Siriano was among a handful of designers who didn’t give up on runway shows during the darkest months of the pandemic.
He’s worn them all, garnering a strong A-list fan base from Jackson herself (she gave him a shout-out on Instagram) to Cardi B, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama.
“I’ve wanted to dress Janet my whole life,” Siriano said. “She was everything I wanted growing up. She was the one.”
When he told his mother, who usually attends his shows, that Jackson would be his guest, she replied: “Wow, that’s it. I don’t even have to come.”
So what’s a designer to do when he’s entered his bucket list?
“Janet and Madonna were big on my list and I had to do some stuff for them,” Siriano said. “Now I’m very excited about all the new Hollywood stars. I’ve just dressed Sydney Sweeney a few times and I think she’s the most amazing actress ever.”
He’s in gear for Monday’s Emmy Awards, but he’s mum on exactly who he’ll be wearing. He offered one thing: sure-fire nominee Laura Linney.
“It’s a good list,” Siriano said, “but I can never tell until I see them on the mat.”
