Christian Siriano's Stunning Transformation

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From Michael Costello and Mondo Guerra to Dmitry Sholokhov and Dom Streater, Bravo's long-running competitive reality show "Project Runway" has spearheaded the careers of multiple celebrated designers over the course of its 22 seasons and counting. But having launched countless eponymous lines, dressed everyone from First Ladies to Academy Award favorites, and been named as one of the world's most influential people, season four victor Christian Siriano must surely stand as the most successful.

The Maryland native, who beat Jillian Lewis and Rami Kashou in the 2008 New York Fashion Week final, is now on the other side of the franchise's judging panel. But how has he maintained such a high profile? What did he do before he willingly put himself at the mercy of Heidi Klum and co.? And which fellow style guru has he been in a relationship with for the past eight years? Here's a look at Siriano's remarkable transformation.

Inspired by his older sister performing in a production of "The Nutcracker," Christian Siriano developed a love of ballet at a young age. But it wasn't the pirouettes and pliés that interested him.

"A performance was like a fashion show," Siriano explained to NPR. "I just loved that world and I didn't really know why I loved that world, but I knew I loved that fantasy idea. And then slowly ... I just became a fan of clothes and what women wore."

The Maryland native has kept one foot in the art form during his designing career. In 2013, he debuted a collection heavily influenced by the American Ballet Theatre staging of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." "I wanted this collection to feel as light, soft, and romantic as the dancers on the stage and in the painting, but modern enough to be wearable today," he told Teen Vogue. Sirinao even recruited a trio of ballerinas from the prestigious ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School to show off his efforts.

Christian Siriano was something of a prodigious fashion designer. He started making his own clothes at 13. While earning extra pocket money washing hair at an Annapolis salon, he was allowed to help out with the sewing duties for their yearly shows.

Siriano planned to further his talents after graduating from Baltimore School of the Arts at the Fashion Institute of Technology. However, after his application was turned down, the future "Project Runway" winner traveled to London's American Intercontinental University. And he appeared to make quite the impression.

"Christian was a very talented student," Professor Gill Stark later recalled to Regent's University London's official website. "He was highly driven and always exceeded what was required of him," the academic added before celebrating "his bold creativity, his impressive capacity to create, and his unwavering eye for the promotional power of the catwalk."

While studying at London's American Intercontinental University, Christian Siriano bagged two internships that for most fledgling designers would be the stuff of dreams. Indeed, he enjoyed stints working with both legendary punk instigator Vivienne Westwood and Cool Britannia trailblazer Alexander McQueen. However, the future reality TV star admits he didn't have a clue who the icons were at the time.

During an interview with The Guardian, Siriano revealed he was just as unfamiliar with the supermodels who wore their clothes. "I think my second day Naomi Campbell was doing her fitting, but I didn't know who she was," he recalled. "I didn't know who anyone was — I just knew I liked to make clothes."

Following his graduation, Siriano landed a paid internship back in his homeland. However, the money didn't compensate for the sheer boredom. "I photocopied fabric for three days in a row," he said about his brief stint at Marc Jacobs. "It was horrible — I never went back."

In 2007, Christian Siriano decided to audition for the fourth season of "Project Runway" practically on a whim. "I figured, I had no money; I just needed a job, so why not audition?" he told Elle after being encouraged to try out by a pal.

Of course, Siriano made an instant impression, and not just for his constant calls of "Fierce." "He was in the room for half a minute when I turned to the judges and said, 'I've been teaching for 30 years and have never met a fashion prodigy until today,'" the show's mentor Tim Gunn later told the same magazine." And the Maryland native lived up to the hype, becoming the show's youngest winner following a 12-piece New York Fashion Week collection which guest judge Victoria Beckham described (via The Washington Post) as "a breath of fresh air" that she'd be honored to sport herself. 

And despite the industry snobbery about such reality shows, Siriano — who received $100,000 to help launch his own label and a Saturn Astra as part of his prize — has no regrets about competing. "... Winning got me on "Oprah," and Amy Poehler played me on "Saturday Night Live,"" he reasoned. "That was fun. But I also realized quickly that this wouldn't last, so I decided early on to figure this thing out for myself."

After lending his talents to a 15-piece collection for Puma and designing various prom dresses, Christian Siriano showed the world exactly how he'd spent the $100,000 he won on "Project Runway" with the launch of his self-titled line at the 2008 New York Fashion Week. And while the designer never appeared short of confidence on the show, he later admitted that he was incredibly anxious beforehand about displaying the self-described "sea of grays, blues, and yellows

"I feel like I'm holding my breath for all twenty-eight looks," Siriano wrote in a piece for Oprah.com about the experience. "I can hear applause, even cheering, but I'm still a nervous wreck. But before I know it, the show is over. And it went off flawlessly. The crowd and the press alike loved my work. Well-wishers and cameras and reporters flood the backstage area. I accept dozens more air kisses, compliments, and hugs. I really did it."

The fact that several lucrative offers subsequently rolled in was no doubt further validation. Siriano collaborated with LG to design the fiercest new phones, teamed up with Victoria's Secret to launch his own makeup brand, and was asked to contribute to projects by O-Cel-O and Starbucks. 

Christian Siriano's rise through the upper echelons of the fashion world continued in 2012 when he opened up his very own store. The designer's first physical retail space, located on SoHo's Elizabeth Street, featured pieces ranging from $120 to a cool $2,000 and was initially soft-launched before opening its doors properly two months later at an event attended by the likes of Allison Williams from "Girls," reality TV favorite Brad Goreski, and the familiar face of "Project Runway" host Heidi Klum.

"I have always wanted to open a space where my customers can shop exclusive pieces curated by me and my team," the Maryland native told E! News. "The store is a great showcase for the collection to be seen each season, and I'm hoping this will be the first of many Christian Siriano retail locations!"

The night after officially opening, the eponymous store took part in Fashion's Night Out, the annual New York event conceived by former Vogue editor Anna Wintour. "It's so cool to be in my own space ... Siriano said to The Hollywood Reporter. "I was very nervous that people wouldn't really come!"

In 2016, Christian Siriano swapped the runway for the church aisle when he said "I do" to singer-songwriter Brad Walsh. The pair, who started dating before the former rose to fame on "Project Runway," exchanged their vows at a ceremony outside their Connecticut home in in front of family and friends including, Kelly Osbourne and "America's Next Top Model" favorite Jay Manuel.

"It went off without a hitch," the relieved newlyweds, who'd announced their engagement in 2013, told Brides.com (via Page Six). "We both managed to eat a lot of food, thankfully, as the advice from all our married friends was to make it a point to eat otherwise you never will." Unfortunately, just two years after the happy occasion, Siriano took to social media to reveal that he and Walsh had separated.

In an Instagram Story, the fashion designer explained (via People) that he felt compelled to go public first. "... Rather than let them break it, I'm telling you myself. It's nobody's business and I don't want to discuss, but that's what's up."

It's perhaps easier to list the famous women whom Christian Siriano hasn't dressed since winning the fourth season of "Project Runway." Zendaya, Janelle Monae, Meg Ryan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Celine Dion are just a handful of the superstars who've worn his outfits over the years. But in an interview with Bravo, the designer revealed that a certain First Lady remains his all-time favorite clothes horse. And we're not talking Melania.

In 2016, Siriano created the blue dress Michelle Obama sported for the Democratic National Convention, where she famously declared, "When they go low, we go high." "The crowd was crazy; she gave one of the most amazing speeches ever given," the fashionista recalled. "The dress looks so beautiful because it's quite simple, but spoke volumes, I think, and I think that was really nice to see ... "

Siriano — who once named the star he most found difficult to work with — has a reputation for dressing celebrities ignored by the industry. In 2016, he answered "Saturday Night Live" alum Leslie Jones' prayers by creating a black, off-the-shoulder gown for the "Ghostbusters" premiere that subsequently went viral. "It shouldn't be exceptional to work with brilliant people just because they're not sample size," he later tweeted after being applauded for his efforts. "Congrats aren't in order, a change is."

Having dressed some of the showbiz world's most glamorous names, Christian Siriano got the chance to live out his childhood fantasies by working his magic on a Disney heroine. The "Project Runway" winner was tasked with designing the outfit for leading lady Zarina in the animated movie "The Pirate Fairy."

"I loved the challenge of this project," Siriano said in a statement (via Rotoscopers) about the 2014 film. "I haven't designed for an animated character before, and I'm excited to take my skills into Zarina's world ... Disney characters are everlasting and I'm so happy as a young designer to help create a bit of Disney history."

In an interview with Fandango, Siriano revealed he took his role seriously, asking countless questions about the character voiced by Christina Hendricks to help inform her look: "I had to learn about her and her personality ... what I thought she would really wear in her situation." The American InterContinental University graduate, whose work included a feminine spin on a Captain Hook-esque undercoat and an off-the-shoulder pirate blouse, essentially treated the seven-inch cartoon figure like a fully-grown human. "When I was sketching and coming up with ideas. I was coming up with ideas based on [the fact] that I would be making it [her costume] in real life," he added.

Seven years after storming to victory in the fourth season of "Project Runway," Christian Siriano returned to the franchise, but this time as a judge rather than a contestant. And those receiving critiques from the show's most successful graduate weren't adults, but kids! Yes, in 2015, Bravo launched "Project Runway Junior," offering aspiring designers the chance to compete for a scholarship at Los Angeles' Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

"We were told to give them real criticism like they would get if they were presenting to an editor or to anyone else in the industry," Siriano explained to Kuwait Times about his unfamiliar position. And he obviously enjoyed the experience, returning to the panel for its second and final season.

Siriano's "Project Runway" story didn't end there, though. In 2019, he headed back in a mentor capacity where he continued to bring the honesty. "It's tough love not because I don't personally always like something," he reasoned to Parade about his approach. "It's because maybe I don't, but I know what the judges or I know what an editor of a magazine or I know what an actress wouldn't like, for the most part. Because I've literally dressed almost every single famous person and worked with every editor, every stylist." Producers obviously liked what they saw, as he's now fulfilled the same role for a further five seasons. 

Christian Siriano has achieved many accolades during his rise to sartorial greatness. In 2013, two years after being initially rejected, he was accepted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In 2016, he was crowned the Couture For A Cause "Designer of the Decade" and the AAFA American Image Awards' Designer of the Year. And he's also made several exclusive lists including Forbes' 30 Under 30, Crain's 40 Under 40, and, perhaps most impressively, the Time 100.

In 2018, Siriano was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time. "I love taking risks, it's the best part of fashion," he explained in a video celebrating the honor. And he received a glowing tribute from one of the celebrities he took a risk with.

"... He makes every piece feel like you are supposed to have it and like it was made for you," wrote Leslie Jones, the actor who famously wore a Siriano creation to the "Ghostbusters" premiere, having been snubbed by every other designer. "He has his talents and then incorporates them into what you want, which in the end is something that both of us want, making him a one-of-a-kind designer." Here's what some other "Project Runway" winners look like today.

As well as promoting inclusivity on the runway and red carpet, Christian Siriano has embraced his activist side elsewhere. In 2020, for example, he designed an exclusive rainbow-themed to celebrate Stonewall Day, a relatively new commemoration of the landmark milestone in LGBTQ history. "I think it's nice to just be a part of something that is trying make a difference or educate," he told Advocate about his efforts.

That same year, Siriano also volunteered his time and skills to help meet the demand for face masks amid the onset of the pandemic. "It's, like, wait, how is there not enough product?" the designer remarked to The New Yorker following New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's plea for help with the shortage. How was there no preparation at all? In one way, it feels good we have something to do. On the flip side, we get e-mails every day from hospitals being, like, 'We have nothing.' It's a mess. It's horrible."

Siriano is also an advocate for animal rights, as he explained to Parade. As well as insisting on cruelty-free fabrics for all his fashion work — "There's tons of brands and fabric companies that are making beautiful quality things that look just as real and give the homage," he insists — the "Project Runway" winner has also aligned himself with Humane World for Animals, a cause he was alerted to by his superstar pal Sia.

Christian Siriano sure didn't waste much time getting back into the dating game following his split from singer-songwriter Brad Walsh. Just months after he announced they were heading for the divorce courts, the "Project Runway" mentor entered into a relationship with Kyle Smith.

The latter made things official on Instagram with a loved-up snap captioned (via Bravo), "So proud of my babe. Congrats on an amazing show you continue to amaze me each day we're together." When  Us Weekly asked about their romance a year later, Siriano described it as a "fun love" but insisted that a second marriage was nowhere near on the cards. However, the couple soon took things to another level when they moved in together ahead of the pandemic lockdown.

And the pair, who are still very much together, aren't afraid to mix business with pleasure. In 2024, Siriano found himself without a model for an important fitting in the French capital. Luckily, Smith — who has his own Future Lovers of Tomorrow clothing line — stepped in to save the day, with photos showing he pulled off the off-the-shoulder dress with ease. "When the model doesn't show up in Paris you improvise!" Siriano captioned the evidence on Instagram before adding, "Looking chic in Lace. Très chic!" Here's a closer look at their relationship.