In this week’s tale of the unsung hero, we have fresh-faced, intelligent designer Christian Siriano placed on a pedestal—and, like any other skeptic of the media, he’s using it as a soapbox. In an exclusive interview with Refinery29 yesterday, he spoke about the custom dress he made for Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones, its controversy, and what led to international fame and glory for his particular brand.
The thing is, when Siriano responded to Jones’ original tweet complaining that no fashion designers would give her a dress for the Ghostbusters premiere, he literally waved at her. That’s it. He just jumped in, and went for it.
“It was actually super random; I was just like: ‘Hey, I’m here. If you want something I’m available.’ She must not have thought of me, so that’s why I threw myself in there — because I love her, I follow her, and I would love to dress her,” Siriano told Refinery29. “Then, it started becoming such a thing. Honestly, it was just as simple as I’m a fan of hers.”
He compared Jones to his other clientele, beloved American treasures Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, stating that if he didn’t have dresses in their size, he would scrap something together.
He then went on to emphasize that regardless of red carpet status or celebrity grade, every woman deserves to feel comfortable and beautiful in her own skin. As far as high profile designers go, Siriano has a diverse portfolio of both pieces and those who don them. Jones isn’t the first rising star he’s given a boost. He was one of the first people to dress Lady Gaga in 2008.
“It’s more exciting for me to have moments with people that are different, or that shock, or are newer names,” he says. “I want everyone to think that my brand is for everyone. There are so many amazing people out there that are sizes 6 and 8, and I’d never [want to not] have something for them. So, that’s super important.”
He thinks that the large amount of buzz the dress has gotten is frivolous. And he’s right—in many aspects, this is just a dress, and it doesn’t reflect Jones’ talent. However, the dress is worth every ounce of attention it’s gotten, simply because it reminds the everywoman, the same one that Siriano embraces, that she deserves to feel just as beautiful as any other woman.
Photos via Instagram.
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