Christian Siriano RTW Spring 2010
By Sarah Richey

Christian Siriano’s RTW Spring 2010 show at NYC Fashion Week evoked old-world coastal glamour and luxury with champagne and khaki neutrals,  sea-blue turquoise, fiery coral and red accents. The colors were reminiscent of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, the inspiration behind the collection, as the designer told Women’s Wear Daily.

Textures ran the gamut from full bodied organza to structured metallic linen. Body conscious, metallic sheath dresses and draped satin ensembles in sandy hues made up many of the pieces, and four spectacular gowns stole the show, each in a super-luxe take of one of the main colors. One particularly stunning piece was strapless gown with a drop-waist, bubble-hemmed skirt made out of fabric printed with a graphic blue photograph of the Italian coastline (AP, 2009).

For a relative new-comer to the New York fashion world, Siriano had a Hollywood-heavy fan base in the front row including Project Runway’s Tim Gunn and Nina Garcia, and actresses Tori Spelling and Mena Suvari. The 23 year-old designer, fashion’s latest boy wonder, showed himself to have a surprisingly mature understanding of elegance and feminine simplicity, while not forsaking his flair for detail and fun.

Oversized sun hats, ruffles, metallic sequins, and lush fabrics mingled with enough structure to keep the collection grounded; in keeping with this season’s broad shoulders and defined hips, many pieces sported belts, full-volume skirts and strongly accentuated shoulder lines. And there was plenty of romance to make any girl feel gorgeous.

While you may not be looking for a red carpet-worthy evening gown with cascading layers of lava-esque chiffon, some of the designer’s more accessible, everyday pieces included an aqua trench coat, single-shoulder cocktail dresses, patent leather belts and flouncy tops with tough shoulders paired with slim skirts. Les pièces de résistance on all of the models were his sky-high shoes from his new Payless line available to all of us this fall. If you’re not quite “fierce” enough for the 6-inch platforms, try his turquoise blue flats to channel the care-free spirit of Mediterranean elegance.