Oprah Winfrey Surprised the DNC—And Christian Siriano, Who Had No Idea She’d Wear His Design

Oprah Winfrey may be this country’s great unifier. The media mogul’s supply of wisdom and inspiration over the years has been just as abundant as her lung capacity, and her surprise speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night in Chicago was no exception—trademark bellowing included with that six-second hold on “Kamala Haaaaariiiiiiiiiiissssss!”

And as Oprah expounded on the “best of America,” she was wearing an ensemble that was perhaps the best of the night, a monochrome purple Italian silk crepe pantsuit with wide-leg trousers and a blazer with a corset-like belt, a custom look created for her by Christian Siriano. Siriano, by the way, had no idea that Oprah would be wearing his design, nor that she would even be speaking at the DNC, he tells Vanity Fair.

“It’s always funny: I’ve been dressing Oprah for a really long time. I’ve made her so many things, and suits, and gowns,” he says. “And her stylist, Annabelle Harron, who I love so much, she didn’t even tell me what it was for. I had no idea…. But when Oprah calls and asks for a suit, like, I really don’t care if she’s going to the grocery store.”

Oprah Winfrey arrives to speak during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.Bloomberg/Getty Images

He only realized what was happening when his phone started blowing up with texts on Wednesday night, and he bolted to the DNC live stream to tune into Oprah’s speech. “I missed the opening walkout, and then I got so many people asking me if I made this suit,” he says. “I was like, ‘Oh, I did, actually!’”

“Obviously I was glued to just her talking, and I kind of forgot that I even made the look because I was listening to her speak, which was so amazing and incredible,” he says.

That mysterious call from Harron came through late last week. “It was really quick,” Siriano says. “We basically made this on Friday.”

Harron sent Siriano a few examples of his designs that she and Oprah liked, with the directive that whatever he created should be purple, and the designer got to work.

Collaborating with Oprah, he says, has always been “really easy.”

“She’s probably one of the easiest people we ever make clothes for, which is hilarious, because she’s also one of the most famous people we make clothes for,” he says. “It’s really nice to see, and it’s my favorite part about making clothes for her. That’s why, literally, I didn’t know what it was for, and I don’t really care, because I know she will wear it, and she will feel good in it, and that’s why we do it.”

Much was made of the choice for Oprah to opt for full-on monochromatic purple, fully committing to the hue, from the thin wire rims of her eyeglasses and her eyeshadow, to her jewelry, suit, and heels. Siriano says that nobody outright mentioned the color as emblematic of political unity and the blending of the Democrats’ blue and the GOP’s signature red for a speech where Oprah told the crowd that “this election isn’t about us and them” and that “you’re looking at a registered independent who’s proud to vote again and again and again. Because I’m an American, and that’s what Americans do.” He assumed that it was a continuation of her press tour for The Color Purple, and selected a shade that felt “more regal.”