Christian Siriano Gives Advice to Young LGBTQ+ Designers and Names His Favourite Pride Outfits Ever

"I want any creator, whatever they're making — jewellery, bags, anything — to be obsessed with what they're doing because this is such a hard business. If that's how you feel every day when you wake up, then you are a designer. Levels of success are different for everybody, but no one should feel like, 'I have to dress this person to be a successful designer.' Don't ever think that way. Just be you, be authentic, and be what you want to make. If you want to paint all your clothes, that's what you'll do, and you'll have a market for it. It won't be everyone, but that's OK."

"I didn't have a ton of support from too many industry people because I just didn't know anybody. I was pretty naive. I lived in London, and then I moved to New York and didn't know many people. But my biggest supporters were the women in my life, from my mom and sister to friends I was working with. My mom never held back. She always wanted me to be what I wanted to be, and if I wanted to make big tutu dresses, she let me make big tutu dresses. That was my push as a young designer to do what I wanted to do. And then I had a very eccentric sister who would wear all the crazy things I would make, so that helped."