Christian Siriano for Spiegel: A Match Made in Catalog Heaven

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Not that you've been paying attention to catalog fashion lately, but if you had, you may have noticed that Spiegel is attempting to freshen up their image by introducing a "Signature Styles" designer collaborations line. And?very, very soon?they'll be launching their first in the series, a collection of 10 looks by Christian Siriano.

We had the opportunity to peek in on Christian a few days before he showed his eponymous collection on the runway at Fashion Week, a time when he confessed "I email about shoes all day!" Little did we know then that the Spiegel collection is very closely inspired by his main line; in fact, if you loved what you saw on the runway, you'll be thrilled to find this collab a more accessible and affordable one-off.

The necessary details on the Spiegel collection are:
· The price ranges from $49 for a scarf to $399 for a "dream gown."
· It's not season-specific as most pieces have been designed to adapt, and work from day to night.
· The target demographic is the twenty-something girl who maybe isn't totally familiar with Spiegel, but will be once she sees the Siriano cocktail dresses (and suiting!). Sizes may go up to 14/16.
· We don't have official release date information, but we'd guess late spring, considering they were already shooting the lookbook.

We grabbed Siriano while he was debating whether or not to eat some cupcakes at the shoot, and fired away some questions:

Racked: First, off, what's the inspiration for your Spiegel collection? Are you going with a destination theme as in past runways, or what?
Christian Siriano: I thought about what Spiegel needed, which was event dressing. They wanted fabulous cocktail dresses, to translate my silhouettes, and of course I had to have a gown. No destination inspiration this time; I thought Grecian modern, but also the dark and creepy indigenous plants that live without sunlight, which is the inspiration for my Fall 2011 runway. And always lots of hardware, texture.
R: Do you think the New York woman will bite? It is Spiegel...
CS: Oh yes; hello I have a black shift dress! There is a bit of a California feel, but then I think the city girls will be attracted to the details. The beadwork goes all the way around...a purple shift has this origami lining. I think New Yorkers will be as into it as maybe women from Ohio, for example.
R: Do you anticipate the Spiegel collection selling out?
CS: Well, yes. The price point is good! It's a limited collection too?10 looks?and I'll send it to my girls. Mena, Rosario, and the whole thing to Mila Kunis.
R: You're known now for your outrageous footwear designs for Payless; are you bringing any shoes or other accessories to Spiegel?
CS: Just a scarf! No, but I'll be with Payless for a few more years and I'll have my own footwear soon!
R: Okay, now talk to us about your favorite pieces here.
CS: I have two favorites; a black strappy shift with a pleated organza bodice. So easy to wear and it is a direct derivative of a piece I'll have on my runway. The second is a soft leopard crepe jersey bias-cut dress. I suppose that's the California piece to the black shift dress' New York.
· And Now, for Some Siriano Runway Shoes [Racked National]
· Mature Looks from Christian Siriano, and a Return to 'Fierce' Black [Racked National]