Über Fierce

Had you suggested back in November, that I'd be pulling for the feisty Mr. Peepers lookalike to take home Season 4's Saturn Astra...um...I'd have told you to get right out of town. But last night, when I saw Christian Siriano get misty-eyed on the runway, well, I teared up right along with him. Talk about a great ending, people! In a season so light on personality and heavy on talent, top prize went straight to the standout designer on both fronts. Christian was our favorite person to watch on camera, and, undoubtedly, the most vivacious designer. He was the fan favorite and the judges' favorite, and how many past winners can we say that about?

I'm so pleased that my little Xtina won, but, I loved all the collections, really. Well, no, not Rami's. His colors are reminiscent of Chloe Dao, and I just cannot handle that. (I'm probably not going to talk about the fact that he came in second, because I'm in a very positive mood right now.) And, I loved Jillian's collection, obviously. In fact, my absolute, favorite piece of the night belonged to her.

Those are pants. Pants! Come on, that's sweet. I could totally see that on the red carpet, plus, it's super-innovative. And while her final piece was my fave, she, of course, had a few others I loved...

And, I have to admit, one that I hated...

What is that, fencing uniform chic? Ummm, not my fave, darling. But, I do still love me some Jillian, and I was super sad to see her sulk off in third place. (Seriously? Third? Bullshit. Okay, I digress.) But, let's be real...although her "feminine attitude" was well-received by the judges, imagine if she had won. Would she have shed tears of joy? Or jumped on Heidi Klum's back and ridden down the runway? Or even bitingly replied "Yeah," when Tim asked if she could believe her luck? Probablement non.

But THIS little guy? He just wanted it more! And let me tell you something - his collection was fierce. A tad monotonous, to be sure, and that was my concern when I viewed the collections online weeks ago. But when you got to see the pieces close-up, you could easily recognize the details and definition in each piece. The fabric contrasts, the color transitions...to me, they flowed beautifully. I started to realize my love for his collection when he was fitting Lea for this little number:

Instructions for wearing this dress include "It's not all about comfort!" and "Be really skinny! Don't eat!" But who cares? It's badass! I wouldn't normally expect myself to swoon over a design like this, but something about the leather spoke to me. Me and Michael Kors. Me, and Michael Kors, and Victoria Beckham, apparently.

I mean, MK and I are kind of pushovers, but Posh is not easy to make smile. And who could blame her for grinning with all those big hats and feathers coming down the runway! It's all so, I don't know, dressup! The judges had very few criticisms of Senor Siriano, but I appreciated Michael's critique when he said, "Let's be frank - not everyone can wear what you wear," to Mrs. Beckham. And, that's true, Posh would look precisely one million times better in Christian's clothes than would the average American woman. But the same could've been said for (well, every article of clothing, ever, but...) Rami's pieces, and definitely for Jillian's. I mean, I'd like to see someone who's not 5'10" and 120 pounds pull off that gold and sheer thingy she created. And while some of Christian's looks were more art than function, he balanced well between fantasy and ready-to-wear. For instance, maybe you wouldn't see someone rolling down the street in this:

But, the idea of the neckpiece, and the style of the hat, well, they're sort of awesome. And pared-down a bit...

it's a lot more wearable, non? Not to mention, um, féroce. So, in the end, I think the $100G went to the right diva, and I can't wait to see more from Christian in the future - perhaps, if we're lucky, at Victoria Beckham's next red carpet appearance...