A book signing for designer, Christian Siriano’s new book Dresses to Dream About was held at his new boutique “The Curated” on August 1. The boutique is located on the upper East side of NYC in a historic landmark home where a grand staircase leads to the upper floors, and fireplaces laced in antique granite make for cozy sitting areas. The “homey” feeling is exactly how you feel as you enter and are greeted by his welcoming and friendly staff, Manager Samantha, Destiny and Carl.(There are others, but I am sorry I don’t know their names). It just makes sense that you immediately feel relaxed and not judged for “who you are” or “how much money you have”. To say that Christian has embraced diversity is an understatement. He has literally turned the fashion world upside down by designing for women of every size, age, color and economic background. On every celebrity red carpet, you find at least one of his dresses and whoever is wearing it, is a knockout.
This is the lovely entrance to the store. His book, “Dresses to Dream About” is sitting at the front of the table
In the gorgeous pink, is Manager Samantha, and young but going places, Destiny. They could not make you feel any more comfortable and are just as excited to be working for Christian as I was to be there.
There are not only Christian’s gowns, but fabulous accessories by other very talented artists, are also for sale. In case you didn’t see Duchess Kate (Middleton) at her son’s recent Christening, head pieces are trending big time, similar to the one you see on this mannequin.
The decor is also, not surprisingly, reminiscent of old time glamour. In addition to embracing diversity, Christian is also bringing old time Hollywood glamour back to life. All of us Over Fifty miss those days, I think. At least I do.
Of course gorgeous gowns are everywhere. And not just for the tall and thin woman who can wear almost anything!! There is something for everybody, and if they don’t have it in your size, you can special order it.
Needless to say, I was SO excited to meet this man. Not just because he is a creative genius and because he has shaken up the fashion world, but I was hoping I would get the chance to mention the need to address women Over Fifty. Christian was actually the first designer to ever feature a new collection with an Over Fifty model, Roxanna Gould, another ground breaking move. I got my chance and was able to mention that no designer has ever put an Over Fifty model on the runway where she hasn’t looked frumpy or dowdy. As you all know, I have been following designers and Over Fifty models on the runway for years, Christian would again be a pioneer if he were to put an Over Fifty model in his runway show where she looks glamorous, sophisticated and/or even sexy, At the least, I hope I planted a seed, because there needs to be a huge shift in the paradigm as to how society views us after a certain age. Many women tell me they feel invisible and that their self-esteem starts to diminish as they age. This is not good for anyone. Some younger women are terrified of getting older because they too feel that “falling off that cliff” is in their future as well.
Here I am with gorgeous Samantha, the store Manager. I love her dress, but I can never figure out what to call this color. Is it melon? Is it apricot? I love it. Anyway, I am wearing purchases I have made at sample sales while I have been in NYC. The belt is by Altuzarra and the skirt by Bottega Veneta, both for about $125.00. Don’t worry, I could not go to Christian Siriano’s store and not buy something!! It is an LBD, not as expensive as you might think and 50% off. The rest I will keep as a surprise but you will be the first to see it, promise.
I invited my new BFF, Ashleigh, from my F.I.T. Fashion Drawing Class with Steven Broadway. Though she is only 22, when it comes to fashion everyone is the same age at heart!! (She just got a job at Barney’s and I expect big things from her). Here Christian is signing her book and you can see how excited she is.
A wonderful addition to this great event was another book signing by the celebrity stylist, Micaela Erlanger. Micaela works with many celebrities and Christian. She is not only beautiful; her resume is impressive and you can just feel how talented she must be. I started reading her book last night, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit. It has great styling tips, which heaven knows, we all could use. Her suit is from Christian’s pre-Fall collection that is coming out next week. Love it!!
What a wonderful heartwarming experience. Albert Einstein said genius is not about intelligence, it is about creativity. Christian looks and acts like just like you and me, but you can tell that those creative wheels are always spinning. Christian’s thinking “outside the box” is long overdue in the fashion world. It is time we embrace Diversity because, as we all know, it doesn’t matter the color, size, or age of any woman. It is all about style!! And, it is time we stop judging each other for things in life that don’t matter and start having fun.
Christian’s new boutique, his book and this event, were a dream come true. I am so grateful to have been invited. And his book, is out of this world. It is a definite coffee table conversation piece. Your inner child will be so excited to look at all of the fantasy and glamour. I can’t wait to see what he does next. I will have a surprise for everyone in September as well. Thanks to all of his staff who could not have made me feel more comfortable and welcomed. If you are in NYC, “The Curated” is a must stop.
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