This past Saturday the famous Pier 59 Studios was filled with a spirited crowd for Christian Siriano’s Spring/Summer 2018 show at New York Fashion Week. The young designer, age 31, described the inspiration behind the collection as, “My Spring 2018 collection feels like a dream, almost a psychedelic hallucination of what’s inside my fantasy greenhouse.” Siriano married floral and greenery prints with a brightly bold color palette to create romantic pieces that caused quite the stir from the front row (Leslie Jones, we’re looking at you). From sunny yellow day dresses and green grass suiting to electric brocade and fuschia evening gowns, the designer pulled out all the stops for his latest collection.
However, just as fascinating as his designs, was the model casting of the show. While Siriano is no stranger to body positivity and diversity on the runway, his latest show sent members of all genders down the catwalk. Two male models, Joel Wolfe and Austin Kairis as well as trans model Avie Acosta, were added to the roster donning dresses and embellished suiting.
Veteran supermodel Coco Rocha closed the show wearing a black flounce gown with an enormous ruffle trim which left Jones fangirling…hard. The finale included a pack of models in slip dresses lead by a female model and Kairis, who accessorized his black ensemble with a strip of visible chest hair, to a mix of Blur’s “Girls and Boys” by Siriano’s husband, Brad Walsh.
Siriano,who enjoys being an advocate for equality stated, “ I want to celebrate beauty no matter where you came from or what size you are. We are all beautiful.” He has a way of authentically instilling messages that stick to help spread his message. And this season, the designer’s take home message rang clear. No matter what race, gender or dress size, we all grow in the same garden.