Christian Siriano Fall 2011

Where & When: Thursday, February 10 at 7 p.m., the Stage, Lincoln Center
Runway Recap: Name Christian Siriano and I can almost guarantee the first thing that comes to mind for most people is that gorgeous asymmetrical couture gown he designed with Chris March during Project Runway. It does for me, and while there's no question Siriano can design major red carpet gowns, well, he needs to pay the bills sooner or later. His Payless shoe line definitely helps with that, but what he really needs to do is sell clothes. He is--I spotted execs from Saks and Neiman Marcus in the audience--and for fall, he really stepped it up with retail-friendly looks. In other words, a lot of black. It was a bit more subdued than Siriano's usual Ferocia Coutura extravaganzas, but his workmanship is clearly skilled--everything looked expensive, particularly a leather jacket with Mongolian lamb sleeves and a leather-trimmed shawl-collar jacket. He lightened up toward the end with a series of gowns in moss green and mauve; this is where the black orchid theme of the collection really came to fruition.
Standout Look: Due to Siriano's penchant for dramatic lighting, more than half of my photos are somewhat hard to see. So, instead, here's one of my favorite gowns: strapless with a solid pleated bodice and a beautifully printed skirt that floated around the model's body like a cloud.
Bonus Points: My first celeb sightings of Fashion Week, Siriano's front row included the somewhat random and yet awesome collection of Mena Suvari, Gabrielle Union (Bring It On!), and Alexa Chung, my girl-crush du jour.
Where to Buy: Find store locations here.

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