Christian Siriano
News (Page 2)

Forget winning Project Runway.

Christian Siriano now knows he's truly made it because he was mocked on Saturday Night Live this weekend.

"I thought it was SO FUNNY," the 22-year-old designer wrote in an e-mail to People magazine. "Amy [Poehler] looked exactly like me which is kinda scary, but fabulous."

This pint-sized designer wasn't the only Project Runway personality to be parodied in the three-minute sketch about a hypothetical series spinoff, which features Siriano giving someone an apartment makeover.

While Poehler played Siriano, the skit also featured guest host Amy Adams playing host Heidi Klum and SNL castmember Bill Hader imitating Tim Gunn.

"The fact that they are even talking about me is so fierce, fabulous and flawless and is such an honor," Siriano told People. "[Poehler] was hilarious and little. It was so crazy that she looked just like me!"

The Chicago Tribune recently spoke with Tim Gunn about the victory of Christian Siriano on this season of Project Runway.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q: Every time I saw Christian's age next to his name on the screen, I'd remember, "He's only 21!" It's just astounding.
Tim Gunn: "It is astounding. When we had the auditions in New York, it was the last stop on the audition train. We'd already found a ton of great people with maturity and experience. When I saw Christian's paperwork, I turned to the producers and said, ‘Why are we seeing this kid?' And they said the people doing the prescreening saw something in him. And I said, ‘OK.'"

He came in and he had been in the room about 10 seconds, and I said to my fellow judges, ‘This is an old soul. This is not a 21-year-old kid.' The work blew me away. I've spent my life working with young people, working with students. The closest I've ever come to a real prodigy is the Proenza Schouler boys, Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez. But Christian just blows me away."

Q: His work has such vision for someone so young. It has that couture vision.
Gunn: "It's staggering. But that collection on the runway â€" it was wearable. You wouldn't be a shy wallflower, but it was wearable."

Read the full interview now.

How does it feel to be a reality TV champion?

"I'm humbled," Project Runaway winner Christian Siriano told USA Today in a phone interview hours before Part 2 of the finale aired.

It's not the sort of emotion fans wold expect from the cocky Siriano, but even he was aware of how impressive a feat he had accomplished.

Having conquered the Project Runway stage, Siriano is on to the professional runway, or so he hopes. His goal is to show a "real" collection â€" 30-35 looks, a mix of wearable and avant-garde â€" under "Christian V. Siriano" at Bryant Park this fall.

Christian added that his "lovely" $100,000 Runway prize money will help get the sewing machines humming. There's little doubt his fans will be clamoring for it.

"I'll tell you, it's all day, every day â€" everywhere I go, there's not one place I haven't been recognized," he said. "Just walking to the corner store from my apartment (on Manhattan's Lower East Side), I get people screaming out their windows. It's hilarious."

Christian Siriano became the youngest - and most fierce - winner in Project Runway history last night.

When it was announced that the 21-year old had conquered Jillian Lewis and Rami Kashou, Siriano was left speechless for once in his life.

"Oh my god," the diminutive designer sobbed after Heidi Klum announced the results.

"I'm such a fan. You are so talented, and I would be honored to wear any piece of your clothing," guest judge Victoria Beckham said.

Following the announcement, Siriano said he needed a vacation - sorry, a "vay-cay" - but also assured viewers:

"This won't be the last of Christian Siriano. I mean, people need to see more of the fierceness."