Project Runway's "Fierce" Christian Sizes Up His Win

At the ripe age of 22, Christian Siriano is the youngest and the "fiercest" fashionista to ever win Project Runway. We saw his less sassy side on the finale when he cried tears of joy in front of guest judge and personal idol Victoria Beckham, whom he plans to dress in the future. He's come a long way from his years at Bubble hair salon in the Annapolis Mall. And like most twentysomething starving artists, he also admittedly needed the $100,000 — bye-bye, closet-slash-bed! Siriano's lips were sealed until the finale's airdate, but on Wednesday he was ready to talk.

TV Guide: How does winning change your "life plan"?
Christian Siriano: It changes my life a lot. I was counting on winning. It was a need for me. Rami is successful, Jillian has her own business coming up and I don't. I needed the money; I really did. So luckily... I didn't know I was going to have as many supporters, so maybe I don't need it as much, but it's, like, amazing and everything I wanted.

TV Guide: What are your next steps?
Christian: Really, honestly, I'm just going to work on my next collection for spring. That's a really big goal of mine. Meeting with Victoria is a big goal of mine. I really want to make a mark. I know it's a television show, so it's hard for other fashion designers and editors and buyers to really want the clothes. Well, I want them to want the clothes in their store. That's the goal.

TV Guide: Do you have any offers from celebrities to dress for the red carpet?
Christian: We'll see. There's some coming up. So I don't want to toot my own horn. Hopefully I'll be working with Victoria. I want to dress Heidi [Klum] at the Oscars next year!

TV Guide: Do you have any plans for the spread in Elle magazine?
Christian: No, I don't. I'm really happy for my model. She worked so hard for me, so I'm glad that she gets that.

TV Guide: You are usually so cool and confident, but before the final show you seemed nervous. What happened?
Christian: Honestly, it was really nerve-racking going in to compete with these amazing designers. Rami is so talented. I was nervous. Project Runway, the challenges, that's my game. I can sew fast. I'm quick to think of ideas, but they have more time [for the final challenge], so I was worried. I didn't know what was going to happen. It was scary.

TV Guide: What did you feel when you saw your clothes coming down the runway at Bryant Park for Fashion Week?
Christian: It was an amazing, amazing feeling. I just felt like the clothes really shone on the runway, which was wonderful. I was so nervous. I was a mess, but I totally thought it was fierce, so it was fun.

TV Guide: Define "fierce."
Christian: Fierce is about being fabulous and flawless. If you're fabulous, you're fierce. If you're flawless, you're fierce. And if you're ferocious, you're really fierce — that's like the highest one. But it's just about being really stylish. It's my work and I love it.

TV Guide: Do you have a vision for your upcoming line? Who would wear it and for what occasions?
Christian: My next collection is really going to be wearable for everyone more or less. It's definitely high-fashion, so it will be a little more expensive, but it will be accessible and wearable, as well as avant-garde, outlandish and couture. I like both.

TV Guide: What are you going to do with the $100,000?
Christian: I'm going to buy a bed, girl. I'm going to probably move. I'm going to take my friends out. Travel a little bit. I just want to have fun with a little bit of it.

Check out behind-the-scenes footage of the Project Runway finale in our Online Video Guide.

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