As always this episode is sponsored by my go to stop for anything makeup Revlon. Hey everybody. I'm Ashley Graham and this is pretty big deal. We're confidence is every episode I get to pick the brains of brilliant inspiring honest new and old friends who are a pretty big deal today. We are talking to trailblazing. Or Christian siriano Christian has been a champion of size inclusivity and fashion long before it started making headlines since the beginning of his career. His work has touched all sizes and price ranges a balanced few designers have attempted Christian siriano zhan pretty big deal. Thank you so much for coming. Yeah. So you just had New York Fashion Week. Yes, and it was wild it was wild spring summer 2020 2020. Do you like that phrase now spring summer? 2020 I just filled the seared I did I never maybe you could like give me some insight. I mean I've been doing this for 20 years and you've been doing it for this is like our 12th year to off the air. Okay, why do we have to show so early and you can't even purchase what you're showing. It's very simple it takes time to make clothes. Got you heard it here first. It's the production time. That's what it originally was for. They're basically when a store would place an order it takes It can take two months just to get the Fabrics from Italy because they're so slow. Right? So it's really the lead time to make clothes. Okay, so that's it. Now in our new world you can make things a little quicker. So I do think the schedule could change a little bit but there are some designers that are doing like see it you buy it. Yeah, but there's very few it's because it's so risky you have to basically be like everyone's gonna love this shift dress this season. And if they don't then you're screwed because you have to already have put the order. You or the shop? Exactly. So you're basically get which is kind of why when Tom Ford did it and like to khun Tin really go well because like you're literally gambling you're saying like everyone's gonna love this look, but everyone could hate that look it could be your lowest because I actually sometimes never really I predict what people will like and what they will like respond to but actually what they buy is very hard to predict it can be the most random thing in the world, huh, you know, why saw some gems in the show that I really want and need and have desired for a while. Every your front row was banging. Do you love my 90's tell everybody who was in your front? Right? So who knew that? I mean, I love that Meghan Trainor has never been to a fashion show ever ever which is so interesting and she's amazing and Jennifer Coolidge has never been to a fashion show in her entire career, which is one people missing out because let me tell you she is so major. She's like and I kept sitting on her. She's like I like this. She's like Like that like this like that like it's so there's no no BF at all. That's the best way so tell everybody who your front row was was I mean, it was random but it was like I really wanted like when I grew up I walked, you know, obviously like I'm a 90s kid. Like that was My Teenage life. So like I grew up watching Buffy my whole life. So I'm Sarah Michelle Gellar is a good friend of mine. And I was like, I had to invite her and Alicia Silverstone and Lucy Liu and Jennifer Coolidge a smile. Like little Nike 90s dream world right there and everybody they all kind of knew each other to know they because they all have work together on things like Sarah and Alicia were in Scooby-Doo Raku together. That's a kicker also. It's really weird people who have seen that movie. I judge them differently and speaking for real. We were in me and Lisa went on vacation together. We were in Venice like on a boat and the guy driving the boat was like I loved you so much and that move. And Scooby Doo doo doo doo. That's when you know, it's major. Oh my God, I love that. Oh my God. Okay. So speaking of growing up you grew up and Annapolis, Maryland. Oh my gosh, I mean small town Vibes. Yeah. It's like it is funny because it's small town and it's like very preppy and very buttoned up because the Naval Academy is there but it's in between Baltimore and DC kind of so you get somewhat of a metropolitan thing just kind of Yeah, well you left out as soon as you could. Yeah, but was it your mom and your sister who kind of shaped your eye for Designing for literally everyone? Yeah. Yeah. It really was like, you know, I was in this household. My sister was a ballet dancer and Tiny and I was always around those type of girls prima ballerinas and then my mom was like, you know curvy but like loved clothes and shopped at all the stores that I have like done collaborations way. It's just hilarious and you know get into yeah, but I think it's funny that that's How I learned about clothes actually was from her and now I like work with those Brands. So that's like a funny thing. But yeah, so she's excited because she gets free cloth very close from her and bruises around the world love. Yeah, and she's like, I'm gonna go to Monte Carlo my are you sure that you wanna send me a little check? I'm like, it's so major. I really love her. Yeah. I think I learned a lot from them and their friends like, you know, I was always around all these women my mom's friends and then my sister's friends. So two totally different worlds, but they all had like the same things. - oh, I don't look at in this or this is about my body. So it kind of I just like learned a lot. I think just by observing not even talking about it. Just observing. I love that. I want to start talking about how you dress so many different bodies, but I want to get into that because I want to keep going in chronological order because after Annapolis then it was Baltimore, but then you went to London. Yeah College. Yeah, you had an internship with Vivienne Westwood and McQueen and we talked about know it's good you work with them personally. Well, it was an interesting because like I mean obviously like I was the only American working at both places like they don't have American students know because I was like very weird, but I went to like an American kind of college in London. So anyway, but I thought and thought I really wanted this internship at Westwood and when I got it, it just was really inspiring because you know Vivian was there every single day and like actually worked on her collections. I thought that was really great to see that's kind of how I got there. Job at McQueen and McQueen was amazing because I kind of became one of the others assistant designers kind of assistant in a way. So I sat next to Sarah and this woman Caroline and Sarah was there doing every single day leave wasn't there so much because I think it was kind of toward the end a dark time. Yeah sadly but still like in the mix of such a creative world, which is kind of how I treat my office and my team now like I try to treat it how I learned from them. What was the biggest lesson? I think you learned from being in London and being with McQueen and Vivian. I think it was like, you know, there was no risk not like there was nothing too big risk to take and away like try anything and let everybody kind of have some creative voice. I mean everybody was doing everything at both places. It could be a low-level. Nothing designer doing something very important. I remember I was like Hannah application address that we were doing for a Sarah Jessica Parker for the met when I was at McQueen and I literally like was 10 years old. Not really but I was so young. I was 19. Yeah, I mean, well that was young. Yes. I was like that's so interesting that like everybody got to like actually work your part of yeah, I was actually curious about that because it just in watching the documentaries both of them, you know, you see how hands on both the designers were and that's exactly how you work to this day. And I understand and I just Burr when I was doing all my research on mr. Christian siriano, I was just thinking like that you must have you've always been Hands-On with everything you've done and then you probably got a glimpse into these masterminds and thought Oh, I can still be Hands-On. Yeah, and that's got to be inspirational walking into the best thing. I think I think it's the only way that you can still get like your kind of actual real creative voice out there. Hmm because I think sometimes as as you know in this business, there's a lot of opinions. Oh are they? Yeah, there's lots of agents and managers, you know, there's all that so like my fun part of my day is actually like making the clothes. Okay. So when I walk into your office what part am I walking into because you've already made the collection? Yeah. And so that's the part that you're obsessed with is like yeah the pre fashion show. Yeah. The fuck is still is it the drawing is it the it's getting the fact it's literally everything everything. I'm a big fabric like obsessor so I buy way too much and spend way too much money on it. That's like a problem, but I just love it because I appreciate the work that went into it like all they work so hard on creating these amazing things. So I'm like, oh I'm gonna buy more and more. I never use half of them. It's fine. I sketch every single thing still by hand every dress. It's kind of crazy. Did that help you going into 2008 and winning Project Runway. I mean probably because I make decisions Very quickly. I don't like harp on things. I don't like. Oh, is it this is it this leave? Is it now do another sleep tomorrow like who cares? So that's actually like, I think I'm just very decisive win everything. Hmm. It's kind of why I'm able to like dress 17 women on a carpet in one sees it because I don't go back and forth a hundred times. I'm like, this is what it is going to look like this like let's figure it out. You're not over analyzing or getting anxious about something because I actually think that's when it's not good. Mmm interesting and I actually think that's what A lot of like actresses and musicians or whoever aren't on a carpet or whatever when it actually isn't as successful as when there's too many people involved. There's too many thoughts and it's sometimes just when it's like like with Billy Porter at the Oscars like literally like I did that the week before I don't even fit him like that was gorgeous like it was just like I have time I was like, this is where you're wearing. This is it but he probably was so in love with it. Yeah, but was he afraid to wear it? No, of course not bilious. He wasn't afraid of anything. He would like wanted to wear like to land like sequin. I mean it was viral. Yeah, it was a gorgeous. But that's what I mean. Like we didn't think about it. I just did it and I think that's when it sometimes great. Hmm, I believe that yeah. So was it hard after you 1 2008 Project Runway and then all of a sudden you're in demand? Yeah, what was that process like going from having nothing winning having the star power and then now all of a sudden it's like what are you gonna do? No, it's insane you have Immediate customer in a second and they want product or they want something of your world and you have anything to give them and it's really hard. So that's why I like I showed a collection immediately. I put product out there like I was doing brand Partnerships like right away, which is like when I got my pay less deal and people were like, what are you doing now? People will die for that deal like, you know things that people were like kind of like pooh-poohing in 2008. Then the market crashed the economy went down my first Market Day. Saks Fifth Avenue was the day Lehman Brothers. Literally that was the day taking out to their appointment. I was like as everyone else did yeah, but for me, I had nothing to base it on. I was like, okay. Well last year we made no money. So we're only gonna do better ha ha ha. That's how I treated it. I mean that's a good way to look at it. Yeah, where's every other company was like, oh my God, we're going bankrupt. We have no sales. I was like, oh, well any sales are going to be something for me, right but All of a sudden you got your footing. Yeah, and then we just like I just like kept doing things like just kept pushing through and I think the biggest thing was like making product like we just I showed for collections a year every year from like day one the last 12 years. You've had four collections every year. Yeah. It's like so annoying Christian. I hate clothes. I just said outside. I was like, I cannot wait to like not talk about clothes for like just like three days. I'll just three like, where are you gonna be waiting? Doing for three days. I'm showing in Paris and then I'm going to go to Ibiza for a week. After are you having a full-on show in Paris? Oh my God. I know you told me this last season but like it's like a full lunch. It's not like a full-on show. Like whoever's idea was that was dumb. It was yours. I know ha ha ha, but I really wanted to like I because why are you having two shows in one? See? I know because this is a thing that we're I'm testing because I will say almost because what's happening in our world almost half of our Buyers don't come to the u.s. Anymore. And that's a huge part of our business. So they don't get to see all the work that we put into why we do a show which is the fantasy the drama the beauty of the clothes walking. They just said they just look at them on a rack and a showroom model who doesn't fit the clothes. So I'm like, well, this is dumb. So I want to try and we'll see how it goes. So sorry just coming from like a creative standpoint. What are you doing the exact same show? No, it's a little different like few different things mixed up. It up a bit and I having curve girls in the show. Oh my gosh, are there curve girls in pairs that are coming out for your show? Yes, that's fantastic precious will be there. And yeah, he done Candice and I was like, even if they're not coming we're flying them. Oh great because we have to have it because Christy doesn't know has a budget. I don't but you do your flying girls out. I will diners don't do that. You heard it here first. You have a good lunch it I'm like, I don't want to but if I have to well, that's the thing. There's not a lot of Models aren't Europe and I mean you just named three of the top curve girls right now. Yeah, so I was like, I felt like it made sense. If they can't come that they need to come because they should be there representing major. Yeah. Oh my God. I can't wait to watch. Are you gonna have it Lime Light streaming? No, probably not but we're going to keep it Chic and very Patty. It's very French. Got it. It's like I was almost going to do like no music and it'd be like super like a thing and then I got scared because I was like them people are gonna be like boarded annoyed so, you know music Does add it does it does it really does? Okay, so but I want to talk about cfda's because for so long they just weren't accepting you. Yeah, it was like, oh we just went to the cfda's together. Yeah, people were dead. Well, duh. I mean first of all, let me just like have a little moment about Christian siriano. He made me to outfits you made me to looks yeah custom. Yeah one was the one that I wore and then the other one was actually one that I just wore to New York Fashion Week and it was the polka dots and we've ripped the sleeves off. Yeah. I had no idea what went into a sleeve like now like this see the sleeve I have on today. It's a little puff a lot of work and you gave me a choice to pick which one I wanted and we went with the black. I love what we backed off. It was gorgeous and I couldn't tell you then that I was pregnant. I know but I had what you doing. I was like something's going on and I'm really annoyed right now. Oh my God, I wasn't drinking no and I didn't want a party. No at all. Oh my God. What a buzzkill Jesus. I probably wrote that to somebody like never know. No, but I actually know I had a feeling the third time when I asked you if you wanted to like something because I think I asked you again as I could you sure you were like no, I'm like you're like over me asking you so I was like, okay. I was like if you could hand me another role that would be great. Yes. Definitely. Okay, so we just had a fabulous time but everybody there was drooling over you drooling over. My look looked amazing, but this is not how it's always been. Yeah, I mean I think in the very beginning I actually only applied once and wasn't accepted and then I didn't apply the year after because I just was like I don't care that much. What does it mean to a designer to be in the cfda's it means different things for everyone I think because it depends on what you need for me. I just really kind of like really just honestly just wanted to be a part of like a good group of designers that were. And great things in the world, which I think is what the cfda is for. It's like to celebrate all these designers that are doing great things out there because it's not every American designer but it's a good really really good group. So yeah, that was it. I just wanted to be a part of it in some way. I actually didn't really even know what they did and I needed a little bit of help in the beginning because I was like am I doing the right things and things like that, which I think they're great at mentoring. They also enhance so, is that what they do? They yeah, they help you know, it's like Can call will answer an email if you email him and say like do you think this is right and he'll answer and I think that's pretty amazing. It is I think that there's a misconception with people being in the fashion industry that they're cold and mean and they don't want to help people but I think that it's a conversation that people should be having is like there's so much that people want to do to help the Next Generation. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's more so now than ever. I mean, I think early early on 2008-9. I think the industry was quite closed off I do. Do I do kind of agree but now I think it's very different because if we don't support each other we're not going to survive. Yes at all. Like the industry is going to fully like implode because clothes are really just not being sold as much as they just not it's just not the same game anymore. It's like we have to support each other we have to yeah, and and that's everything that's models. That's hair and makeup teams. That's everything like or else like the whole creative kind of business. It's kind of gonna die. What do you think that you have to do to keep up? The times I think you have to be like very very optimistic and open-minded about every single thing every project what will lead to something else because it didn't used to be that way. It used to be like, oh you could never do this, but now it's not the case anymore which is like which is like where we're sitting and doing this show right now, right? This would not know model would have ever done this never also an amazing no designer would have ever had a line with Payless. No or lame Brian. Oh tell me about this collaboration. Um or anything or done lots of things. I was literally 22 years old and Payless was like I want to offer you this amount of money to be a shoe designer and sell millions of pairs of shoes. Was it seven figures? Yeah. Okay good. I just wanna make sure hello and I was like, I'm gonna cry like well one my mom was like you take those. Damn. I don't care what the hell happens. So the one like but it's true because you're like why would a guy like a 22 year old say no to that. I'm like get I get to be a shoe designer. I get to sell shoes around the world. Like it's a global huge billion dollar company. That would be weird to say. No. I've never been designed shoes before they were like, hey, here's a collection do what you want that's really doesn't happen. So that was like I took it as like wow, this is really cool. I'm out of college. I just graduated and they're offering me this so I didn't think that that was strange to say. Yes, and I still don't because I think people now if they listen to how I explain it, they're like, oh you're right. There's so many designers. I think that Would wish that they could go into mainstream? Yeah, but I think that there is still a misconception where there may be some designers who are like. Oh no if I go mainstream then I'm lowbrow. What's the balance for you? I think the balance is making sure at least at my other part of the collection is still fantasy dream like aspirational. I mean, we're still doing Red Carpet. We're still make I still make clothes that maybe nobody will ever wear but that's okay because that's what I like to do. And that's how you balance the both. I mean what you have done is you have literally brought in everybody from a size zero to a size 24 26 28 28 on your runways made clothes for them. How hard is it to manufacture clothes in every size? I mean, it's definitely harder. It's not the easiest job and that's really just because the process is longer. It's like you have to fit your clothes on multiple sizes. Before you actually produce them which a lot of branches don't want to do because they don't want to take the time or the money and the resources. So yeah, that's it. But it's doable we do it and I have a small team. So so that hard now, why do you do it? I think really I was doing it because people were annoying me because they kept saying my clothes were four models and I like didn't understand what that meant and was like we talking about like they'd be like, oh only models can wear those clothes and I was like, well, that's not true. You're annoying. So I was like well that I'm Show you that like these are my new models and they like are curvy and cool interestingly. Why did it just because people were judging you on who was wearing them? Yeah, and then these celebrities just came out in and then that will and that actually that was first because I will say like my very first few years in business. I was dressing like everyone I was doing no you were dressing everyone everybody and they all were different like I was doing Oprah was doing like I mean whoopee was one of my first people I dress I was doing Rihanna like everybody and they all were curvy girls, but that was just like I thought was who was asking for clothes when I was doing all my research and me and my writer were coming up. It was like all these fabulous women of color and black women that you have just been dressing. Yeah for so long growing up in Baltimore City. We're like kind of the opposite where I was more than minority because I went to a school with mostly black kids. So it just was normal to me. I don't know. It's like cultures Collide and in some I think that's what's kind of beautiful like about our world. I I totally agree and I think that Justin Racing each other as who we are we are. Yeah hansung the beauty. Yeah, I love that. Yeah speaking of amazing black women Leslie Jones. Yeah on your have you ever hung out with Leslie only at events? Okay. Well jeez snack is level. I mean she's amazing and she's incredibly kind so she was hooting and hollering at one of your shows and got lots of pressed last show spring 2020. All right spring/summer 2020 gosh, that's a mouthful. I was hooting and hollering. Yes. Yeah, feel like you who didn't holler at a Christian siriano show because of the diversity. Yeah because of how fun the show is and because the fashion is just so like over-the-top and fabulous. Yes, I think at my show you're seeing some things kind of you're like, oh like you're not really ready. I think because I just like make things that I like I'm just inspired by so if it's a feathered thing who cares, where do you pull your inspiration? And I know this is a question that all designers get now, it's Where it's the most random things like it really is like I could design a whole collection just buy this room like the fabric around that is circular and like could be an interesting shape. But you know, whatever like I love like the opening of the light behind you like that like that shadow could be really cool like anything I think can be inspiring. I'm good at also like giving critiques which is why I'm good on like the new version of the show because yes because I see anything I think can actually be interesting. You just have to figure it out. So you are on the new season of Project by the way, I'm talking about that. I just what we are going to talk about it because you brought it up. I know it's your fault buddy. So not only did you win in 2008, but now the new reboot you came on for their first season and you're about to start second season. We already filmed it. How does it feel it's fine. It's whatever. Oh, it's great. It's great. Honestly, it was really weird the first few days. It has to be. Yeah, of course and it was more strange to be honest not even because of the show because the producers are the same from my season. So what's different now having been mentored by Tim Gunn and now you're the mentor? Yeah, what what one I'm the boss which is exciting before I had zero dollars and was just being yapped at and Tim came into your room. Exactly. And I mean you lived in a closet I said I lived in a closet like to pull your mattress out of know. I have like true Madonna story. Like I lived in a walk-up just like Madonna on East forth between A and B, just like Madonna in A five-floor walk-up. I think we stayed in the same apartment. I really do till this day. I do know this story. Did she have to put her mattress in like a cupboard? He had a out every nozick bedroom. Oh my God. No, it's not crazy. You are MoDOT. Wait, huh? Madonna's that you I know but back to Project Runway. It's really great. I actually think that they get so Such more real advice because I'm a working designer like in this business. So, you know how the show goes and not even that honestly. I actually don't even really think about the show anymore when I'm with them. I really really treat them like my own team in my office like they're telling me they're sitting there playing. Okay. This is inspired by Beyonce and she's gonna wear that some like well, I just dressed Beyonce last week. She's not wearing that like, I literally give that they'll be like, oh, this is Ariana and I'm like, well, I literally just made Ariana dress she wore it. It I'm like I'm telling you this is not what she would ever wear or pull from a designer. So I literally give them very like real what you cannot get like there should be so lucky like I work with a lot of people so I think that's what I give to them that no Mentor really could give and you probably weren't even getting that kind of advice. No because Tim was a teacher so he was more Technical and I'm technical but also like real I give them I try to be like pretty Well, thank God for all the technical because yeah had in one year 17 Oscar dresses B. 9M e dresses six dresses at the Met. I mean you are have no money left. You're the king of I know because there is a misconception here, right? Yeah. I'm glad you brought that up. Yeah, because someone like me I'll come and I'll be a Christian. I need a dress. Yeah, and you are the one who pays for the dress. Yeah. I just wear it. Yeah, so so talk about Out what the worth is for having the dress on a Runway or on a red car bad habits. It's to get your you know, your brand out there to make sure people see your creative voice. It's almost like basically, you know, you are our form of like a gallery and said it's a painting on a wall. It's work on a body that walks around a party. Hmm, and that's really what it is. So that's kind of been my way of getting my work out there because it's very hard in our industry to get I understand what you do. Hmm, and then it's like okay and then it's at and then now it's a trickle effect because now it's like now we like our a little bit known for doing Red Carpet close. So now we get a lot of requests all the time and it's a lot of work and a lot of money and the Met is very expensive and very annoying and I have really appreciate it but it is really hard. That's the hardest one. I think the med is the hardest is Wellness. I mean, it's a lot of pressure at the Oscars the designer and then it's a lot of pressure on the hair and makeup and then it's like whoever's. Is wearing it is the one who really gets the like critique. Yeah, and it's yeah, but it's so major. Yes and it like last for a long time and you always have those moments. The Oscars are similar. I mean every red big red carpet is it is similar it's worth it's worth it. But how do you withstand the bandwidth of just keeping up? Well, I don't know we all cried a little bit this week because the Emmys are Sunday and how many people you dressing for the enemy. I don't know but I still too many but it's so Hard because I can give us a round number maybe six or seven. I know it's like so dumb anything off of the red wine off my collection. I would actually rather be a lot. That's it. Yeah, all the rest are custom what? Okay, so can we just talk custom for a second? I feel like you are one of Melanie my office. Yeah. She might die Oh, no, you're my ass. She just went birthday. No because we have literally made seven and he's dresses and the show and Paris. Okay, but can we talk about the fact that you are one of the the only designers that keeps doing custom and not off of the runway. I do it one because obviously not everything we show on the runway will fit everyone. So I feel like I'm like, oh I don't I would not want to be respectful saying like, oh, I just won't fit you so I won't send you anything. So I'm like, okay, I'll make you something that's kind of how I fix that problem. And then you just like suck it up buttercup and you make it suck it up. Yeah, it's hardcore. Then this one dress though from the runway gets warned. I will laugh because it was so easy. And I was like, well, I wish there over like that. No, yeah. Okay. So then it's hard because then then this the celebrity is on the red carpet and then somebody could get flak like Christina Hendricks did of course. Yeah, you never know but it's major flak because they told her that oh, there's no way that a big girl should be at a big dress dress yet. I was Disturbed at the fact that they thought first of all that was a big dress that also started actually, I will say to change almost everything for everyone when those comments came out. It was the first time Time anyone had ever really vocally said something about like someone on a carpet like that everybody else eyes about their size. Everybody has always been like, oh I hate the dress is ugly whatever it's not flattering whatever but that was like really particularly about a body and she also like is them one of the most beautiful women in the entire world men of idolize their whole life. So like did it make sense that like people not men everyone women everyone, it's Marilyn Monroe. I mean really is living now. Monroe and I think that that really changed a lot you can see her breasts you can see her waist. It's just that color on her skin tone was Borgess. I just didn't understand was she hurt by that I think she was like, I think she may have been but to be honest like no Christina is like she's so confident and amazing and we did like six dresses after that. I know let's also talk about your store the carried it in my city. I mean I've been there. A billion times and you just moved in there in the last two years like a year and a half. Am I not even so what's it been like it's amazing to like literally see how like the customers interact and being there and it just feels very like old it feels like very old fashioned because we're all in one place where in this town house and you go up the spiral staircase is it kind of is really nice you can walk. So you literally you walk in a door bell goes off. Yeah, and there's a lady there who usually a lady? Yeah at the front desk and she's like, uh, And you can shop downstairs. Yeah, and then for me, I just go straight upstairs. I know where to go. Yeah, and you're usually there with a rack of clothes and would do a fitting and even though it's like on the Upper East Side. I know whatever like a lot of rich people are so sorry. It's okay you're forgiven. And now you have J HL J Julia. Hi JJ yeley, Joe. So what was this collaboration? Like Jay Jose? Awesome it the CEO left Lane Bryant and went to jail and she's Lievable. We love Linda. We love Linda and actually to be honest like J. Joe was the best opportunity because it's my first fully inclusive because it's zero 228 petite and tall in all styles and they gel is never done this before have they they do it but not like this. They've never done it full on same collection same clothes. So it's awesome. They've never done a collaboration before so all the above. It just was like an awesome project. Okay. So what's next for Christians Ariana we More to come with JoJo which is really exciting and just like building the business keeping it going like making sure customers come back season after season. I love it. I love what you stand for. I love who you are as a person. Thank you. I love how fun. This is like in your living room. I know it's like people in front of us. I know there's always people here, but I like it, but I just thank you. Thank you for being on pretty big deal. Now those one thing that we do at the end of every pretty big deal can do a quick like kind of lightning round. Yes, and you just have to fill in the blank. Okay? I'm ready. Okay, you ready? Hmm. Okay. I pretty much always I pretty much always. Oh God talk about money. Ha ha ha bad. What's the biggest lesson? You've learned this year? Oh, I think it's like cliche Don't Look Back like fully forward like I'm so over the past. It's great. Yeah, what's the biggest deal you've ever made and it can be like I made a big deal about that or That was a really big deal or like or money because we know you like to talk about yeah. Oh my God big deal. I mean, I think it's a pretty big deal that I get to show and New York and in Paris and yeah, I honestly don't know any other designer that's doing that or has done that. Yeah, another designer done that I don't know. Okay, because you're a pretty big deal. I want to know what you think is a pretty big deal. Oh I think is a pretty big deal. I think it's a pretty big deal that I think we still have to Like talked about so much about like bodies and beauty and color bla. Bla bla. I do think it's a weird thing it is, so I hope that my pretty big deal is it when it changes that will be a pretty big moment. I love that. Yeah. Thank you so much for coming. Have a good day. Love you. Love you. Thank you everybody for watching pretty big deal with Christians Ariana. Oh, and we want you guys to join the conversation. So go on Instagram and Twitter, and it has a little comment first a little message you never No, we could read it right here. Pretty big deal is produced by a pretty big deal Productions and obb sound.
Ashley Graham sits down with trailblazing designer, Chrisitian Siriano! Christian has been a champion of size inclusivity in fashion long before it started making headlines. Since the beginning of his career, his work has touched all size and price ranges — a balance few designers have attempted. After winning Project Runway in 2008, Christian capitalized on his newfound platform, grabbing prime placements in your favorite stores and runways across the world. He continues to make waves as a red carpet darling dressing everyone from Cardi B to former First Lady Michele Obama. #PrettyBigDeal Instagram: https://instagram.com/prettybigdealpod/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/prettybigdealpod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/prettybigpod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ashleygraham Website: https://www.prettybigdealpodcast.com  HOST: Ashley Graham GUEST: Christian Siriano EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ashley Graham, Penni Thow, Scooter Braun CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kelsey McWilliams, Ava Coleman DIRECTED BY: Kaliya Warren WRITER: Ava Coleman LINE PRODUCER: Jess Vogel ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Ilyssa Walker RESEARCHER: Shanaz Mahmud DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Katherine Castro POST-PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR: Jess Vogel COLORIST: Marika Litz SOUND MIXER: James Sparber EDITORS: Crystal Arnette, Lucy Tatianna Morales MAIN TITLE THEME BY: Johannes Raasina, Lefteris Ioannou TITLE THEME PRODUCER: Johannes Raassina CAMERA OPERATORS: Autumn Moran, Megan Mansur GAFFER: Moe LaRena ASSISTANT CAMERA: Charlie Gillette, Julissa Ramirez GIMBAL OPERATOR: Crystal Arnette ADDITIONAL CAMERA OPERATOR: Barbie Leung BTS CAMERA: Barbette Johnson, Mary Evangelista KEY PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Julissa Ramirez ADDITIONAL SOUND RECORDIST: Deanna Williams WARDROBE: Jordan Foster MAKEUP: Katie Jane Hughs HAIR STYLING: Cameron Rains ART DIRECTOR: Laura Miller PRODUCTION SOUND: Kit Jirles DATA MANAGEMENT: Melissa Bueno-Woerner PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Catrina Kokkoris PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: Masha Zhak, Adam Duplechain, Nick Kaufmann, Christian Guinanzaca, Guy Mueller ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Raquel Dominguez, Jennifer Spottz SPECIAL THANKS: Argon Props, Adorama Rental Company, Youtube Studios, Youtube Space NY 