Q & A With Christian Siriano, The Big Winner

Newsday gets some private time with the Project Runway winner.

AB: You’re always so confident and cocky but in that last episode, you seemed kind of nervous. Were you?
CS: I was nervous. I worked so hard, and once I saw Rami and Jillian’s work, well, I got kind of scared. Their work was so good.

AB: Did you have an inkling that you were going to win?
CS: Maybe the last few minutes. I really didn’t get any criticism, and then there was what Victoria Beckham said (she loved it), and I was thinking, am I going to win?

AB: What did winning mean to you?
CS: If I didn’t win, what would I do? I have no money, no job, zero. I didn’t plan for not winning. I needed it more than I wanted it.

AB: Did you have doubts about your collection?
CS: I was so exhausted and tired and I had many problems backstage. I wasn’t as confident as I am normally, and I started to worry that the clothes were too outlandish.

AB: So when Heidi said your name on that final runway….
CS: When she said Christian, I just felt it, and knew it at that moment. And when she said I won, I really thought about Rami. It was weird. I didn’t want to be crazy like and rub it in his face. He worked so hard. Normally, I’m sassy and I’m a diva. I wish there was a second place.

AB: What’s next for you?
CS: Well I am going to take a vacay. I’m going to LA this next weekend, and I’m going to have some fun and enjoy the weather. I want to go to Africa and South Africa to get some inspiration. I’ve traveled all through Europe, but I’ve never been there. And I’m going to show in the tents at Bryant Park next season. There will be more wearable simple things, but it’s going to be crazy too, so many couture gowns.

AB: Um, are you sick of using the word fierce yet, and do people say it to you?
CS: It’s crazy. People everywhere say it to me. I really don’t say it that much when I’m just talking.

AB: You were a big personality on the show, and some people thought you were a little annoying. What do you have to say on that?
CS: The thing is, that no offense, a lot of the other designers were so serious. They didn’t show a lot of personality and I’m sassy and fun. When I was making comments, I wasn’t being nasty but funny and cute. And what they didn’t show is that I helped a lot of the other designers with their work.

AB: Do you think you were in good company with the final three?
CS: Of course, I respect the other designers but by day two, I said it was me, Rami and Jillian, and then at the museum challenge they asked us who should go to fashion week and I said them. I thought their final collections were amazing. His had so much cohesion. Hers was technically flawless.

AB: And yours?
CS: I was out to win, so every look was a look.

AB: Off the subject, one last thing. Our friend Jillian told me that you and she had quite a laugh over Chris March’ use of human hair on his garments. True?
CS: Oh my God, I called his collection ‘Tranny Velvet Nation.’ Jillian pretended to call the Animal Rights league about the collection. We had the best time and laughed so hard that we nearly peed on the floor. – Anne Bratskeir