American creator Christian Siriano kicked off
New York Fashion Week with a gleeful mix of comics, cubism and glamour, in the
build up to Sunday’s Oscars where he could well triumph.
The young designer, based in New York since he was 22, has become one of
the city’s biggest fashion attractions over the last few years with the exit
of several big names. His outfits are sought out and worn by stars on the red
carpet.
This season he drew inspiration from characters and emotions from the DC
Comics superhero film “Birds of Prey”.
“The whole idea was everybody has a little inner Harley Quinn in them,”
Siriano, referring to the movie’s main character, told AFP before the show.
Quinn, the Joker’s former companion, is an extreme anti-hero who sways
between good and evil.
The 34-year-old Siriano sought to make her “more romantic, beautiful,
elegant” and didn’t skimp on the sequins, velvet and shimmering fabric to make
his creations shine.
It is par for the course for this master of the spectacle who added his
touch of glamour with long robes, padded shoulders and opulent materials,
velvet in particular.
The designer also took flamenco by the arm, using its frills and
traditional Cordobes hats as well as — more daringly — cubism. The last
outfits of the collection were all formed of angles.
While designers increasingly ponder the relevance of the catwalk, Siriano
is clear: it is part and parcel of what he does.
“Fashion is so hard right now. It’s rough. But this is my dream fantasy
world. So I feel if we didn’t have this some of my clothes wouldn’t make sense
anymore and that’s so sad,” he said.
“That’s why I get up everyday to do this job because I like the dream world
of it.”
“I take a lot of risks and I think people are intrigued by that hopefully.
You never know who’s going to sit front row, you never really what the shapes
are going to be. So I hope that gets people coming back.”
Hollywood’s darling, Siriano is living a high-stakes, high-stress moment,
with Thursday’s show and the Oscars on Sunday.
“It’s the worse. Half my team is at my studio right now,” preparing the
outfits that will grace Sunday’s red carpet.
“It’s so hard. It’s the hardest we’ve ever had.”(AFP)