Could there be glamor in space? It's a fantastic question that Christian Siriano was set to answer with his fall 2024 collection. “If we had to live in this apocalyptic world,” he said backstage before the theme show, “what would the cocktail be? What is the night? With just weeks until “Dune 2” hits theaters, potentially the biggest box office hit of 2024 so far, Siriano turned to Frank Herbert's tome and subsequent films as a source for his world-building.
The first look, a short sand-colored jacket with a deep, square shoulder and a flowing bandana skirt, set the mood. Her palette bloomed with sunset burgundy tones and dusty oranges on iridescent fabrics, folded, draped and flowing with sensual pops of skin in a section of dresses. “It's kind of a progression from things that feel wearable and cool, but then to this fantasy world of nighttime in this desert-like place,” she said. Set against the backdrop of a New York City landmark, The Plaza hotel.
The suits here were elegant, with square shoulders and exposed skin, while some coat dresses championed unexpected and eye-catching proportions for the event. She offered a variety of powerful outfit ideas that veered both '80s and sci-fi, with gold foil earrings and hair accents to top it off. As he did last season, Siriano showed ideas about some male-identified models, but ideas about how to dress according to gender remain fluid. “They are in men but they could be feminine or masculine. “I’m having fun with it.”
The glamor reached a high octane with the final section of the dresses, leaning into embellishments through the protective lens: soft, sheer tulle dotted with sequins or liquid silks trimmed with deep ruffles and feathers.
An award-winning creative and television star, Siriano knows how to put on a show. “Sometimes New York Fashion Week has a hard time taking people to another realm,” he said, adding that he wants people to feel like they're going to the theater. “I want to take your breath away,” he said. His front row (Leigh Lezark, Aquaria and actresses like Alicia Silverstone, Melanie Lynskey and Sophia Bush) certainly took note.
Still, while the show may have been full of fantasy, Siriano will always have real-world appeal.
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