A trip to Paris with Christian Siriano

The scene outside Christian Siriano’s Fall 2010 show was chaotic. In the midst of the pushing and shoving, I took a moment to reflect on the meteoric career of this pint-sized fashion phenom. Project Runway has had 6.5 seasons of varying success. Siriano is the only winner to have joined the ranks of the fashion elite consistently showing in the Bryant Park tents and dressing the likes of Christina Hendricks, Mena Suvari, Victoria Beckham and Rihanna. In the Project Runway world showdown, Siriano is the clear winner. (Though I would like to take this moment to point out that Chris March did dress Meryl Freakin’ Streep for the Golden Globes!) His sharp upward trajectory is the stuff of highly unrealistic dreams for young designers the world around.

Inside the tents, the madness only got worse. A wide array of celebs were completely surrounded by reporters who camera flashes all but overtook the blue-tinged lighting design, as they practically killed each other to get to Mena Suvari, Amber Rose (sans Kanye, but clothed for once!), Veronica Webb, and Leigh Lezark. Once the crush settled and people finally got to their seats the show began.

The theme of this collection was an edgy, modernized 18th/19th century Parisian woman. (Yes, you heard that right. It was both modern and antique.) The shoes in particular included details that were reminiscent of the curlicues that adorn the often ornate furniture of that era.

Let’s start with the good.

Being a sucker for heel adornment, I love the webbing between platform and heel. It looks a bit more like a wrought iron fence that a Rococo Desk to me, but it’s still good. Also notable is that that ultra high heel with built-in platform is definitely sticking around. I like it.

I also liked these booties with their curlicue half-wedges. The texture on the bootie itself adds some visual interest, not to mention the pattern of the wedge. Chrome accents have been popular for quite awhile now and it seems that this trend will be continuing into Fall 2010.

There was some talk that Siriano would create his own version of the famed Armadillo shoe crafted by his former mentor, the visionary Alexander McQueen, (whose recent tragic death is an immense sadness and such a tremendous loss). No such shoe appeared on his runway. While these are certainly lovely for what they are (they have an antique table leg thing going on with the heel there), I wonder if perhaps these were meant to be a significantly more understated version of the other shoes that appeared on McQueen’s Spring 2010 runway. These:

Now that I see them side-by-side, I wonder if I maybe let my imagination get the better of me, but it could be possible. It could.

Siriano’s other two attempts at footwear were a bit less successful. The sandal/booties seemed a bit…familiar and I thought that though they supported the edgy/classy dichotomy he was going for, they seemed a bit awkward. Maybe it was just that they were paired with sheer hose, a trend with which I will never be on board?

The fluffy, blue heels that he paired with his gowns were ribbony and ruffly and a bit bridal. It would be a really cool wedding, but still a wedding.

Overall, I thought that Christian showed growth as a designer. It’s clear that salability was more important to him this time ’round, which makes sense in the current economy. And frankly, I was not the biggest fan of his claw shoes from Spring. The patterns I LOVED, the claws….not so much. It will be interesting to see how he scales these down for his Payless line in the fall. The beauty of these shoes is in the small details; he dosen’t have the kooky fabrics or novelty zippers to work with in this go-round so I have my fingers crossed that he will retain the romanticism of the originals without losing too much to the lower-priced materials. (Imagine those beautiful molded black heels in cheap plastic…Eek!) Siriano has made legions of Payless customer happy with his fashion-forward designs and it seems that, with these, he is poised to continue to do so.

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Project Runway!

Okay, confession time…after last night’s return of the long-awaited Project Runway ‘lost season 6′ on Lifetime, I’m ready to do the ‘Meaty Cheesy Happy Dance‘ *(see end of article).

I even missed my normal Thursday night date with USA’networks ‘Royal Pains‘ to satisfy my long-delayed Project Runway craving.

Was it worth it?

Yup.

I admit it, in the recent Project Runway TV void, I tried to like Bravo’s ‘The Fashion Show’ -- a weak attempted to recapture the success (and audience) of Project Runway. But, even an episode of ‘The Fashion Show’ that was dedicated to shoe-themed challenges could not get me past my loathing for the overly-catty confessional-style emphasis of this show.  It was “Project Runway meets The Surreal Life” ……**Shudders**

I just could not enjoy the orchestrated drama and juvenile name-calling, let alone bring myself to actually care about the contestants or judges enough to come back and watch it week after week.   Plus, no amount of cheesy catch phrases like “You’re hanging by a thread”, and “Sorry, but we’re just not buying it” could replace the warmly mentoring personality of Tim Gunn or the occasionally harsh but generally informative critiques of Heidi Klum and Michael Kors. The whole dynamic was a no-go for me.

I want talent. I want creativity. I want to see the contestants’ creative processes and maybe get some idea of who these people are both as artists and designers.

Let’s hope last night’s premiere was the start of a whole new Project Runway love-fest: A whole new crop of designers. A new city (Los Angeles). New sponsors (Macy’s Accessories wall, anybody?)…and a gang’s all here reunion of Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn and Michael Kors.

Too much good stuff:

• A past-contestant reunion competition -- the “All-Star Challenge” -- featuring eight former runway alums competing for another shot at seed money.
• The season 6 premier episode -- a red-carpet challenge!
• A behind the scenes aftershow ‘Models of the Runway’. (Not really my thing, but I’ll reserve judgement for now.

This season 6 premiere episode was a ratings monster. It was seen in 3.78 million households.

Wow.

Did you miss it?

No worries, Lifetime is replaying episodes tonight.

For your daily listings, check the schedule here.

Now, back to the happy dance:

* Just substitute ‘When I say Tim, you say Gunn’  for ‘When I say Meat, you say Cheese’ in the lyrics…..Woo Hoo. It’s dancin’ time:

Okay, so I am that excited.

Christian Siriano for Payless

OK Ladies (and the odd gentleman), who loves Christian Siriano? Let me hear you! Who is fascinated by how his maniacal fashion mind works as he manages to succeed in an industry that often crushes new designers and an economy that crushes everybody else? Me! I am!

I got a chance to talk to Christian at the Fall Release event for Payless at their showroom in Manhattan. I will admit that most of the information in the interview is paraphrased (hey, I had a notebook, not a tape recorder). But these are the facts. The cold, hard facts.

Part 1: Memories….la la la la

So we all remember the runway versions of Christian Siriano’s soon-to-be-ready-to-footwear. They were…aspirational. Celebrities starting wearing them even before they tripped lightly down the runway at his Fall 2009 show. Needless to say, the question of how those 7-inch stunners would be modified for a population who walks farther than runway–>limo–>premiere–>limo was foremost in my mind. Here’s a reminder of what the runway versions looked like:

Cute, but Ouch!

Part 2: Here comes the love

First of all, let me say that Siriano was the picture of graciousness throughout the Payless event. He chatted with all the journalists who were milling around, smiling and posing for photos. My Payless contact told me that he had come in on a red-eye flight that morning, but you certainly couldn’t tell by looking at him. After exchanging greetings, I dove into the interview.

Twinkletoes: Can you tell me about the inspiration for your Payless collection?

Christian: My inspiration is the diva, Cleopatra, in Egypt. You can see in the colors palette that we have the browns of the sand and the blue of the Nile. The detailing also comes from Egypt; we have inverted pyramid zipper pulls and a blue hieroglyphic-like pattern. Even the curved, conical heel is an inverted pyramid. Also, the snakeskin-like fabric is totally Egypt.

T: Talk to me a little about how your runway shoes are different from the shoes that will be sold at Payless.

CS: The Payless shoes are definitely modified to make them more wearable, but they are very similar. I designed the runway shoes with Payless, so don’t think that the retail shoes will be inferior in any way. The Payless customer wants an everyday shoe, not something they can wear just once. You can see that the retail shoes are dramatic enough with the color and the details. They don’t need to be 7 inches high for drama. They have enough drama on their own.

T: I noticed that on the blue hieroglyphic bootie, the zipper is farther toward the front of the shoe than on most ankle boots. Was there a reason for that design decision?

CS: I was to democratize fashion a little and I love it when people take something and make it their own. With the zipper moved forward like this, the wearer can actually unzip it part way and fold over the top, making a whole different look. On the runway, the shoes actually had a double zipper so that they could be modified even more.

T: How was designing your collection for Payless different from designing your own collection?

CS: Well, first of all, working with Payless was wonderful. They have so many resources so there are a million different options. At the same time, when I design for Payless, the first this I have to think about is making my design wearable, then I add drama. It’s actually the opposite process when I design my own collection. With my line, it’s all about the drama. I want it to be fabulous. If it’s not, then my take is “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Let’s throw a poncho on her and call it a day.” Wearability comes later. I loved working with Payless though! And there are plans in the works for more collections! I am already working on a Holiday collection and a Resort collection and there will be a Spring collection as well. This is just the beginning.

T: Do you have a deep-rooted love of shoes?

CS: Actually, my sister has over 400 pairs of shoes! And they are dramatic ones, not everyday ones. I remember that when we were little, she would get a new pair of shoes every week, so that there were so many of them in all kinds of colors. She loves shoes. One of the perks of me designing, in general and for Payles is that I can send my shoes to her and my mom. So far, I haven’t heard any complaints from them. So it definitely comes from them.

***

Christian’s shoes for Payless are due out in August and they are very cute. He stayed true to the runway versions for the most part, bringing the heels down a notch and dropping a chain or a spike here and there.  There are also even some flats in the collection for the girl on the go. All the shoes will be priced below $50.00, which is true for all the designer collaborations at Payless. Detailed photos won’t be available until late summer, but ladies, get ready to pounce on Payless when those shoes debut. For a sneak peak at the collection check out this photo from Racked.com.

I just want to thank Payless for letting me talk with Christian so I can share his thoughts with all of you. There is more coming from the Payless event. They are a brand that has come a long way in the last several years, becoming more recognizable and more respectable. I will also be posting about their designer collaboration with Alice & Olivia and their eco-friendly line Zoe & Zac as well as some other tidbits. Stay tuned!

Christian… and Other Craziness of the NY Fashion Week Variety

My mama always told me trends come in threes.  Didn’t yours?

No?  Well, ok, my mama didn’t exactly say that either, but I think we can safely assume that three designers picking up a shoe trend means it’ll be making an appearance at the retail level for us plebs.  And I can’t say as I’m unhappy about that when the shoe trend in question is the lacy details that showed up in the Marchesa and 3.1 Phillip Lim shows and then again yesterday at Rebecca Taylor.

Me, I wouldn’t pair these pumps with trouser socks, but you know… whatever floats your boat.

Zac Posen seems to be trying to send some business over to the folks who make the Bedazzler.  Otherwise, how to explain the rhinestones on some of his shoes.

Also, no, your eyes are not deceiving you.  That is a velvet and clear vinyl knee boot on the right there.  *shudder*  Not a Zac Posen fan, me.  Very much not.

But the show I was most looking forward to, in news that should surprise none of you if you’re faithful Shoeblog readers, was Christian Siriano’s.  Much as I may find the man incredibly annoying to listen to, I can’t argue that he has great conceptual clothing.  And after Twinkletoes’s preview hinted at fabulous shoes to come, I was giddy with the anticipation.

And then came the show itself.  And you know what?  Christian Siriano’s shoes were the best part.

They’re edgy and cool and young and sleek, if not anything terribly far outside the box.  They sure as hell outdo the clothing, if you ask me.  Apart from two dresses, I found the whole thing to be a largely shapeless, unflattering collection of blah browns occasionally enlivened by a metallic texture or a teal tone.  Dare I say it (and here’s something I never would have thought I’d say about Christian), a lot of the outfits looked cheap and poorly-made, and the shoes are what provided the style spark.  Case in point:

That dress is a horror.  I’m sorry to be blunt about it, but that looks like something I could pick up at Forever 21 for $19.  The shoes, though?  Well, the shoes are a very Christian-appropriate FIERCE (and look at the retreating model’s gorgeous footwear, too)!

For those of you who followed that particular Project Runway season (and you can check out our shoe coverage over this way), you’d certainly recognize the over-dependence on ruffles and giant shoulder-bulging sleeves.  I’m disappointed in the line overall.  Except for the shoes.  And except for these two dresses, which are—to use another keyword of Christian’s—fabulous.

Want to check out the rest of Christian’s line?  Elle has pics here.  Agree with my assessment?  Disagree?  Comment your little hearts out.

Christian Siriano Fall 2009 Sneak Peak

Christian Siriano isn’t presenting his Fall 2009 collection until Thursday,  but thanks to the folks at Payless Shoe Source, we have a special behind the scenes sneak peak at the Project Runway winner’s newest collection, including the fabulous shoes he’s designed for Payless.

The Christian Siriano collection is said to be inspired by the pyramids of Egypt and the colors of the desert. I’m left drooling to see the actual collection with these appetizing quotes from Christian:

…if i was a diva woman who was really fabulous and wore heels everyday, the whole collection is what i would want to wear.

..so i think shoes and handbags really complete anyone’s look. i really think, for us, we have this beautiful subdued color palette, lots of browns, lots of camels. It’s all the same but different textures and i think the shoes bring it to life …like they bring something new, a different texture, if it is patent, or it it has some shine,  i think it gives like more almost, it almost finishes the look so if you have a really simple gloss, a really simple shirt, and a really FABULOUS shoes it makes the look even better.