Christian Siriano pulls two dresses from just-unveiled collection after plagiarism claims

The American designer was quick to respond to comments that compared his pieces to similar Valentino creations

A model walks the runway at Christian Siriano's fashion show during New York Fashion Week on February 9, 2019. AFP

His autumn/winter 2019 collection only hit the runway this week, but Christian Siriano's latest offering is now two dresses down.

The American designer, famed for his inclusive shows and love of unadulterated glamour, has yanked several pieces from his next-season collection, after facing claims of plagiarism.

Two dresses from his range were called out by fashion Instagram account Diet Prada, which pointed out the similarities to previous designs by luxury label Valentino.

One of Siriano's floor-sweeping gowns featured a ruffled bodice flowing into a sapphire voluminous skirt, which bore a likeness to a peach-hued dress from Valentino's couture collection from last year. Another frilled purple mini-dress by Siriano also resembled a longer-length version from the Italian label, with its hemline edged in elaborate flounces.

"Christian Siriano deserves credit for being so inclusive as a brand," the Instagram account captioned a number of side-by-side shots of the two collections.

"This pink Maison Valentino Spring 2018 couture gown maybe shouldn’t have been included in his FW19 collection though. Dieters, thoughts on the purple pillowcase number as well? We just hope he’s not passing on these tips in his new gig as mentor on Project Runway lol."

The designer, 33, swiftly responded to the claims, commenting on Diet Prada's post: “Yea wow last time I have this designer in my studio make a dress. Agree, it’s pulled.”

Siriano, who has dressed stars such as Amy Adams, Janelle Monae and Lady Gaga, also issued a statement to WWD, adding: "I agree it looks very similar."

“I don’t look at collections, so I had no idea what they were even referencing," the designer said. "I wish I could control and make every single dress myself that we put out there, but it’s not physically possible.”

Christian Siriano is not the first label to be called out for plagiarism in the fashion industry, with the Diet Prada account regularly highlighting a copycat culture between labels. Brands such as Celine, Dior and Off-White are among those put under the Instagram watchdog's microscope in recent months.