FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phoenix (September 30, 2024) — Get ready for a fierce fashion affair. Arizona Costume Institute has announced that award-winning designer and Project Runway icon Christian Siriano, will be the keynote speaker for its annual Holiday Luncheon on December 9, 2024, hosted at the Arizona Biltmore Resort. The Valley’s most anticipated fashion fundraising event of the year will be chaired by Catherine Tuton and Barbara Lytle, with proceeds benefitting the fashion exhibitions, acquisitions and educational programs at Phoenix Art Museum. The event’s honorary chair will be Jacquie Dorrance, longtime Museum and ACI supporter. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 30.
Award-winning CFDA designer Christian Siriano has established himself as a tour de force in the fashion world since launching his eponymous collection in 2008 following his studies in London under Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. Siriano’s designs have been worn by today’s biggest names, including current FLOTUS Dr. Jill Biden, former FLOTUS Michelle Obama and VPOTUS Kamala Harris, Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Zendaya, Ariana Grande, Julianne Moore, Lady Gaga, Tiffany Haddish, Billy Porter, Cardi B, Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Roberts, and Jennifer Coolidge, to name but a few.
Having just celebrated the brand’s 15-year anniversary, the Siriano design studio continues to celebrate beauty and diversity in this ever-changing fashion industry. As a result, Christian’s work has been featured in a multitude of prestigious museum exhibitions, including his first ever solo work retrospective titled Christian Siriano: People Are People at SCAD in Savannah and Atlanta, respectively, as well as The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. He’s also contributed pieces to Kensington Palace’s largest exhibition to date titled Crown to Couture; the Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear exhibition at the V&A; Grit to Glamour at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and The MET Costume Institute, where he broke a Met Gala record for having three separate looks featured in the 2021 exhibition In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. Christian himself was also named among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2018 for his leading contributions to body diversity on the runway and red carpet, was a member of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 class of 2015, and was the youngest person to ever appear on Crain’s 40 Under 40 list at age 24.
Apart from his thriving fashion empire, Christian has been the host and mentor for Bravo’s hit series Project Runway and recently added best-selling author (Dresses to Dream About and Dresses to Dream About: Deluxe Edition) and interior designer (Siriano Interiors) to his impressive list of credits. This past spring, he launched the second collection of his furniture line, and this fall, he’ll release a new book called CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: THE NEW RED CARPET.
In addition to a fashion presentation from Christian Siriano, attendees of the 2024 ACI Holiday Luncheon will enjoy a champagne reception, luxury item raffle and lunch. Single ticket purchasers at the $1,500 VIP level, will receive (1) one invitation to a private VIP event prior to the luncheon.
Seating for the 2024 ACI Holiday Luncheon is limited. Tickets will be available online on Monday, September 30, with underwriting and sponsorship opportunities also available.
About Arizona Costume Institute
Arizona Costume Institute was founded in 1966 to support the fashion department of Phoenix Art Museum through the acquisition and preservation of garments and accessories of historical and aesthetic significance and through events and fundraising efforts that support and deepen awareness of the Museum’s fashion exhibitions and education programs. ACI’s support of this collection area depends on the enthusiasm of dedicated volunteers. The ACI Board of Managers 2023-2025 president is Joy Sprink. To learn more about Arizona Costume Institute, visit arizonacostumeinstitute.org.
About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum (PhxArt) has engaged millions of visitors with the art of our region and world. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, PhxArt creates spaces of exchange and belonging for all audiences through dynamic exhibitions, collections, and experiences with art. Each year, 300,000 guests on average engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 21,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in Tucson. PhxArt also presents live performances, outstanding examples of global cinema, arts-education programs and workshops, an art+music festival, and more for the community. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.
About the Fashion Collection of Phoenix Art Museum
The Fashion Collection at Phoenix Art Museum strives to tell an accurate history of fashion and is actively pursuing works that represent a broader and more inclusive glossary of designers. Comprising nearly half of the Museum’s permanent holdings, the collection houses nearly 9,000 examples of fashionable dress and accessories from five centuries of style. With everything from a pair of 17th-century sueded-leather gloves to 21st-century couture runway looks, the collection explores the art of dressing and seeks out the rarest examples of these dress traditions. Celebrated for its quality and comprehensiveness, the collection boasts strengths in 19th-century womenswear as well as works by 20th-century designers, with significant examples from major representatives of European and North American fashion history. Special archives within the collection include the Ann Bonfoey Taylor wardrobe of more than 200 examples by mid-century couture designers, The Emphatics Archive of more than 400 works from avant-garde designers, and the Geoffrey Beene Archive, with more than 300 evening gowns and custom designs.
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