Designers like Christian Siriano are a rare breed. Not only is he an acclaimed designer, a member of the CFDA, a marquee name on the New York Fashion Week schedule, and a host and mentor on Bravo’s Project Runway—he’s a man who is deeply in touch with his community and gives back often. As the latest case in point, he brought the style set out of the city for an evening of fashion in his adopted hometown of Westport, Connecticut, where his new boutique The Collective West held a runway show honoring the national breast cancer charity Pink Aid.
For Siriano, the cause is a personal one, as he’s seen breast cancer affect several people near and dear to his heart. It means that much more for him, then, to support the organization with his Pink Fantasy Fashion Show. The runway offered a mix of archival pieces and new designs in all pink—a first for the designer—with the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Natasha Bedingfield, and Rosie Perez in attendance. In terms of the silhouettes, Siriano gave the crowd his signature ladylike dresses, sharp-cut suits, and swooping tulle ballgowns in ranges of hot pink, blush, and fuchsia, all of which are available for immediate purchase with proceeds going directly to Pink Aid.
It’s more common than not to host shows outside of fashion capitals these days, with megabrands flying around the world and back to exhibit their latest wares. What makes this specific instance more special, however, is the fact that Siriano took the opportunity to bring people out for a charitable reason: to honor the work Pink Aid does, with a little fashion on the side. Because why not celebrate and bolster an honorable charity with something he knows best: darn good clothes?
Kevin LeBlanc is the Fashion Associate at ELLE Magazine. He covers fashion news, trends, and anything to do with Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
