When you think of a fashion week venue, you might picture a glossy runway at Terminal Warehouse in Chelsea, the 39th floor of FiDi’s trendy WSA building overlooking the East River, or even the iconic Bryant Park tents of a bygone era. You might not, however, envision the Macy’s store in Herald Square. But if there’s any designer whose loyal guests—including Oprah and Lizzo—would decamp to Midtown for a new collection, it’s Christian Siriano. The Project Runway judge partnered with the retailer this season, entirely transforming the basement into a luxe, cream-curtained setting fit for the finery it was about to unveil.
Unsurprisingly, the show opened with supermodel Coco Rocha, an expressive pose expert and a favorite of Siriano’s for her innate ability to bring his designs to life. She sported a polka-dot and striped skirt suit, complete with a matching fascinator and kitten heels. The collection felt film noir-inspired: most of the pieces were black and white, evoking a sense of fashionable drama, brightened by pops of orange-pink lipstick. It wasn’t until the finale that the color palette’s floodgates opened, revealing bold swaths of solid orange, pink, teal, and purple across voluminous, puffy ensembles.
If the women represented a classically dramatic archetype, dressed to the nines for any Old Hollywood occasion, then the menswear was a totally modern shift from the collection’s overarching theme. Sequined gingham suit pants were paired with a matching low-cut draped top. Elsewhere, a peplum tuxedo trouser was combined with a sheer long-sleeve blouse—21st century on top, 20th century on the bottom.
However, the menswear didn’t have all of the fun. Siriano also presented a mix of sultrier lace-up and corseted dresses that could easily be worn on any red carpet today. Not to mention, the Capri Sun pouch purse, which debuted as part of a second partnership from the show. Siriano’s world is a very whimsical one indeed.
Alexandra Hildreth is the Fashion News Editor at ELLE. She is fascinated by style trends, industry news, shake-ups, and The Real Housewives. Previously, she attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Following graduation, she moved back to New York City and worked as a freelance journalist and producer.
