Flipping Through Christian Siriano's Book Fierce Style

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It's official: Project Runway winner and general darling of reality TV, Christian Siriano has a book out. It's called Fierce Style of course, and it's something of a feel-good romp through his underdog life, starting in Annapolis Maryland and working up to his current position of dressing starlets.

We had the opportunity to read through Siriano's tome of advice and came out with a new respect for the little troll (we say that endearingly), especially when we came across a picture of Whoopi Goldberg sporting a dress by him, and she didn't look frumpy. Inside, Christian dishes on his vices (yodeling and McDonald's shakes!), the issues he's had with being so petite, and the disappointment of not getting into FIT.

For a few more tidbits on what life is like for Christian Siriano, we've pulled a few choice quotes after the jump.

Cute of cutes Tim Gunn provided the intro, and from his flattering take on Christian, we have no doubt that Siriano cried at first reading of it. On his meeting Siriano for the first time in PR auditions:

I turned to the judges and said "Look at this work!" And upon speaking to him, I declared that this was an old soul. This was not a twenty-one-year-old kid. In thirty years of teaching, working with young people, and launching careers, I had never met a fashion prodigy until I met Christian.

Christian on his early style:

By middle school, I'd done a complete one-eighty. Boat shoes be gone! Instead, I traded them for FUBU jerseys, huge baggy jeans, and New Balance sneakers. Remember the big-logo Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica T-shirts that were popular back then? I had dozens. Those were bad days. I was a little white fairy kid walking around in giant FUBU jerseys. Tough times!

On his slight stature:

...When I was younger I was especially skinny. So shopping posed a real problem. A size Small in most stores wouldn't even fit me! So instead of dwelling on what I didn't like about my appearance, I learned to take the emphasis away from what I didn't love and move it to something I did, like my hair!

This last bit is one of Christian's many nuggets of advice tucked throughout the book; other advice examples include making an effort to "own it!," reading fashion magazines, personalizing your clothes, avoiding being boring, and not wearing Uggs and glitter tops from Forever 21.

There is even a miniscule section aimed at men who would love to be Fierce; tips for them range from "ride a motorcycle" to "buy a flannel." Pretty basic stuff actually, if you like super-manly things (who would have expected this from Christian?)

On his reaction to his entrance rejection from FIT:

After the New York fiasco, I asked my teacher, 'Where is a cool place to go for fashion design?' And she said, 'Oh, you should go to Europe.' But in most of Europe they speak a different language, so London was kind of the only option!

Oh Christian, you provide such easy reading. Seriously though, it's about 4th-grade level reading, but then we were assigned Diary of Anne Frank in fourth grade, so who can really tell? What you will find are 242 pages of "ferosh" pictures, good-natured advice, and even a glossary of typical Siriano terms, including "tickity-tack" and "gorg."

Get it while it's hot: $25 at your local bookstore. Christian will also be appearing at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle on October 7 at 7pm for a signing.
· Racked Bookshelf: Christian Siriano's Fierce Style [Racked]