NYFW is back! Christian Siriano kicks off show with celebs, color and a Marina performance

NEW YORK – Fashion is the ultimate escapism for many in a pandemic world that has been largely devoid of joy – designer Christian Siriano leaned into that idea of fashion as a getaway, kicking off New York Fashion Week with a colorful bang Tuesday night.

Siriano returned to New York City's Gotham Hall to showcase his spring/summer collection, which he said was inspired by a "simpler time" and "the Italian women in my life."

“In a time when so many of us need an escape from the world, fashion is a great place to explore. For this collection I went back to a simpler time and looked to my past," Siriano wrote in the show notes. "The old photographs of my grandmother in the '60s and '70s on holiday in Positano wearing her apricot orange dress inspired an Italian coastal collection filled with color and joy.

"I wanted it to feel powerful and strong but also romantic like any true Italian woman."

Powerful and strong were also apt descriptions of the star-studded front row, which included Katie Holmes, Lil' Kim, "Clueless" star Alicia Silverstone, "Gils5eva" actress Busy Philipps, Kristin Chenoweth, "Real Housewives of New York City" cast member Leah McSweeney and Christine Quinn of "Selling Sunset."

The buzz of Gotham Hall was noticeably quieter than in years past, with most – but not all – attendees wearing masks inside the show after displaying their vaccine QR codes at the entrance checkpoint.

The show also featured a surprise performance: Marina Diamandis, known mononymously as Marina, took the stage in a bright orange minidress with multicolored fringed sleeves to belt out her hits as the models strutted down the runway.

Color always makes its way into Siriano's collections. Lime green and bright orange featured prominently in his spring/summer 2022 looks, which also showcased tailored suits, voluminous sleeves, vintage lace appliques, cutouts and his signature dramatic silhouettes and evening gowns.

The show's finale included of a group of models exclusively revealing a variety of denim pieces from the upcoming collaboration between Siriano and Gloria Vanderbilt Jeans.

Last season: Christian Siriano gets colorful for second NYFW runway show of pandemic

While most designers went fully digital during an expanded New York Fashion Week in the spring that stretched the traditional calendar, Siriano has remained committed to the runway since the start of the pandemic. Siriano's fall/winter collection was inspired by a jaunt to Aspen, Colorado, to visit family for the first time in a year.

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Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Christian Siriano's NYFW show has Katie Holmes, Lil Kim, Marina, more