Oprah sizzles in Christian Siriano creation at DNC

He didn’t deliver a speech last night in Chicago, but designer Christian Siriano won big at the Democratic National Convention.

The Annapolis native and Baltimore School for the Arts alum struck the right note on the third night of the convention with a purple-hued pantsuit created for the queen of talk, Oprah Winfrey. The media mogul dazzled as she took to the stage in her Windy City stomping ground, conveying a message of unity and urging the crowd to vote for Kamala Harris. But it was Winfrey’s ensemble that left style experts salivating.

“I think it was a great mix of conservative and flair. And the color — very gorgeous and very Oprah,” said Lana Rae, one of the stylists who helped Maryland First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore achieve sartorial success when she wore a Siriano creation — a strapless pink ball gown — for the inaugural “People’s Ball” the night her husband Wes Moore was sworn in as Maryland’s first Black governor. Rae met Winfrey at Moore’s inauguration. There, Winfrey recorded a social media video praising Rae’s work as a stylist.

Pascale Lemaire, a celebrity stylist based in Silver Spring, also loved the purple color of the ensemble, which she noted is traditionally associated with royalty and higher spirituality.

“It was the perfect choice for the queen of talk show royalty serving the gospel according to Oprah,” said Lemaire, who also was a fan of the pantsuit’s “exaggerated shoulders” and “snatched” waist.

“It was perfection,” she added. “The brighter, amped-up hue matched the electricity and enthusiasm of the packed room.”

Siriano, who is currently preparing for the 16th year of his career, gushed to his 2.3 million Instagram followers about Oprah wearing his creation.

“Thank you @oprah for tonight WOW! So so chic in custom Siriano giving a very powerful speech at the #DNC,” followed by three purple heart emojis.

The rich plum hue worn by Winfrey — who lived in Maryland during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and worked on WJZ-TV — was a subtle nod to unity (red meets blue) that contrasted perfectly with the DNC staging, said Zoey Washington, a Baltimore-based lifestyle journalist.

“That simple but notable cohesion is something that Christian does so well. Whether it’s the Oscars red carpet or a political stage, he knows how to make his clients pop authentically without being showy or gimmicky,” Washington added.

As for additional details of the reimagined suit, Washington loved the belted waist and full-legged pants.

The look is helping to redefine what it means to “power dress” and perfectly strikes a balance between political strength and relatable femininity, said Washington, a former fashion editor for publications such as Vogue, Elle, People StyleWatch and Essence.

“It’s not an easy ask, which is a territory that Christian thrives in,” Washington said. “With every woman on the political stage, and especially Kamala, it’s so refreshing to see how fashion plays a pivotal but still supporting role to their narrative, rather than being the star. I think that’s why they turn to Christian — so they can let their message speak for itself.”

This might only be the beginning of Siriano’s run of dressing powerful Democrats during this election season, Washington said.

In addition to Winfrey wearing his designs on many occasions, including on the cover of O magazine, at movie premieres and other red carpet events, Siriano’s creations have also been worn by Harris — notably at the 2023 State of the Union address when she rocked a Bordeaux-colored fitted blazer and a matching pair of straight-leg pants. When Michelle Obama delivered her famous “when they go low, we go high” speech at the DNC in 2016, she wore a cobalt-colored cap sleeve dress with full skirt, which was designed by Siriano.

First lady Jill Biden wore a lilac sleeved wrap-dress by Siriano to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. And as recent as June, Biden returned to Siriano for a patriotic, navy blue, silk crepe, crop-sleeve dress imprinted with “VOTE” in bold white lettering at a rally in North Carolina.