My obsession with designer Christian Siriano dates back to 2008. After all, you gotta love a guy who, after being awarded Project Runway’s top prize, deadpanned the camera and said, “Hello, did you have a doubt?”
Turns out, Siriano was not only the reality show’s youngest winner—he’s also been the most successful. His star-studded client list includes Hollywood A-listers (Amy Adams, Angelina Jolie), music legends (J Lo, Rihanna), and fashion icons (Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Obama).
This year, the design maven is branching out into the home arena with the launch of an art-inspired furniture collection. Fashionable influences are evident throughout. Case in point: The Lily stool has a wave-like silhouette, reminiscent of a circle skirt. It also sports just a single seam, a nod to the designer’s tailoring sensibilities.
Yet unlike his statement-making gowns, the line is surprisingly subdued—think clean, geometric forms and subtle neutrals.
“Sometimes the simplest thing can be the most beautiful, which is something I had to teach myself coming from the extravagant world of designing dresses for red-carpet moments,” says Siriano.
Materials include natural woods and bouclé upholstery, a durable, not-so-nubby, synthetic-blend pile. Sustainability is also on the designer’s radar.
“There has been a lot of waste and over-manufacturing in our world, so to be able to bring it back to the old-school craft of woodworkers and upholsters to make something unique on a made-to-order basis is special,” he says.
Overall, growth has been organic.
“We started with three pieces,” says Siriano. “We did them in the pandemic as fun, and then people wanted them and we started selling them and the retailers kept buying.”
His design studio, Siriano Interiors, is headquartered in an impeccably-designed midtown Manhattan townhouse. It’s similar in style to the designer’s personal home, located in Westport, Connecticut. Throughout the ultra-stylish residence, he mixes vintage modern treasures with his own creations.
The design firm has also been working on commercial projects including Siriano’s NYC boutique, The Curated, and the London Hotel in West Hollywood. After 13 years in fashion, interiors offers the opportunity to connect with customers in a new realm.
“There’s amazing furniture out there but I think there’s something to be said about people buying a dress in my brand and now they want furniture,” Siriano told Elle Décor. “It’s like getting a piece of the brand too.”
