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What’s the first thing that a young fashion designer should do after winning a national television competition and participating in his first New York Fashion Week? If you were thinking team up with Payless ShoeSource…you are right! (Probably not what most people might immediately think of…but hey, to each their own.)
After winning season four of Bravo’s “Project Runway,” fashion designer Christian Siriano (whose habit of saying “Fierce!” was simultaneously entertaining and annoying—if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it to see for yourself) debuted his first-ever shoe collection on the runway yesterday at his ready-to-wear show at New York Fashion Week.
Siriano has expanded his offerings with the Christian Siriano for Payless designer label--his footwear and handbag collection designed to complement his RTW line. The new Payless collection will be exclusively available at Payless stores and Payless.com in September.
Siriano's Fall '09 RTW collection takes its inspiration from the natural beauty of the Egyptian landscape, and his shoe collection features five shoe styles--with names like Slither, Saunter, SheDevil, Sand Strap and Strut—also created with Egyptian inspiration.
Personally, I was never a fan of Siriano’s designs (at least the ones that were showcased on “Project Runway”). Call me old fashioned, but I prefer clothing I can actually wear places other than a costume party. But, the shoe collection could be an interesting and profitable venture for the designer—and it is definitely a smart move by Payless. Partnering with a semi-celebrity designer will certainly catch the attention of shoppers—if only for a moment, then the designs will have to do the rest to entice them to buy. The shoe retailer has already partnered with several other guest designers in their quest to “democratize fashion and design,” which sounds like a good call to me. The more inexpensive shoes and handbags the merrier. Now that’s fierce.
--Jessie Bove
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