Richmond residents know this city is electrified by a creative energy, one defined by a DIY spirit that pervades the food, fashion, music, and visual art scenes.

The Branch Museum of Design wants the world to know it, too.

In an ongoing effort to elevate the city’s profile, the Branch’s newest exhibition, “Undeniable,” merges fashion and fine art into a colorful, tulle-adorned utopia with the works of fashion designer Christian Siriano and artist Ashley Longshore. The exhibition is the latest under Kristen Cavallo, who kickstarted the museum’s rebrand after becoming executive director in 2025. “Undeniable’s” three pillars — Siriano, Longshore, and the museum itself — share a common tenacity and desire to stop viewers in their tracks.

The exhibition aims to capture that attitude by featuring more than 30 of Siriano’s designs, including looks worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Halle Berry, Billy Porter and Celine Dion, as well as a piece created specifically for Longshore. An immersive runway experience opens into a floor-to-ceiling presentation of 19 of Longshore’s vibrant paintings, surrounding viewers in pop art that builds a bridge between visual art and fashion through its dialogue with pop culture iconography and color.

“We’ve set things up so you can get the same feeling you get when you walk into any of Ashley’s studios — which is just this larger-than-life feeling — mixed with a red-carpet experience where you’ll be able to get a 360-degree view of each garment,” says Katie Hoak, marketing director at The Branch.

From Project Runway to Richmond

Siriano became a household name on “Project Runway,” winning Season 4 and later serving as a judge and mentor. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) member has since developed a reputation for intersectional inclusivity, reflected in designs made for a variety of bodies — Siriano was an early champion of size diversity and made headlines for dressing Leslie Jones for the “Ghostbusters” premiere after the “Saturday Night Live” star lamented that no designer would dress her. He has also prioritized accessibility through affordable collaborations with brands like HSN, Payless ShoeSource, and Azazie.

“That ethos of wanting to dress someone who’s normally not seen on the runway has been there from day one,” Hoak says. “He’s created this world where celebrities feel embraced and everyday people feel celebrated.”

“Undeniable” is Siriano’s first exhibition of the year, and notably will run concurrently with the “big four” fall/winter fashion weeks in New York, London, Paris, and Milan. “This puts us in a position to take part in this global conversation — we’ll be able to tap into that and bring relevance to this museum and to this city,” says Hoak.

As part of a partnership with VCUarts, Siriano will also lead a sketching workshop with students from the VCUarts Department of Fashion Design.

“Richmond has this amazing creative community, and VCUarts is consistently ranked among the top art and design schools in the country,” Hoak says. “We want to work together to make amazing things like this happen; bring in big names and show the world that we are building something significant here.”

High-energy maximalism

This is far from the first time that Longshore’s work has crossed into fashion. The self-taught painter and sculptor was the first solo female artist featured in Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue window displays. She has collaborated with brands including Chloé, Gucci, and Judith Leiber, and has held exhibitions at New York Fashion Week and the Diane von Fürstenberg flagship store in Manhattan. She and Siriano are well acquainted, with Longshore inspiring and appearing in his Fall 2019 runway collection.

Defined by high-energy maximalism, Longshore’s work features subjects ranging from massive florals and butterflies to McDonald’s French fries, Birkin bags, Audrey Hepburn, and Jesus Christ. Having carved out her own career, she now supports the next generation of artists through her own foundation and initiatives like the Ashley Longshore Excellence in the Arts Award with YoungArts.

Together, Siriano and Longshore create a sense of grandeur intended to welcome rather than exclude. And as it kicks off the new year for The Branch, “Undeniable” asks visitors to consider how design can drive cultural change rather than just respond to it.

“While this exhibition includes red-carpet moments and high visibility, the gap they fill isn’t about fame — it’s about access,” Cavallo says. “Christian insists that design shows up for real bodies. Ashley insists that art speaks in a voice people actually recognize. Together, they challenge the idea that refinement has to be exclusive.”

“Undeniable: The Designs of Christian Siriano and Ashley Longshore” will run from Jan. 17 to March 22 at The Branch Museum of Design located at 2501 Monument Ave.