Pinterest is the social media choice for those of us who think visually. It’s a great way to share and combine ideas, especially when we live in the “picture is worth a thousand words” world of the internet. Planning the interior of your new camper van? Start a board, follow a few Pinners, add some pins of your own, and you’ll be headed cross-country in no time. Creating a mood board for a graphics project at work? Planning a holiday menu? Pinterest is the place to be. It has also become a great way to shop for some of the specific things that may catch your interest on somebody else’s board.
On November 8, Pinterest launched its latest project, Pinterest TV. Like many of those pins, it’s also shoppable; but similar to your favorite self-improvement/do-it-yourself cable network, this is a series of live, original episodes, each around half an hour, that features creators and influencers like Olympic diver Tom Daley, Apartment Bartender Elliott Clark, and 2008 Project Runway winner and Council of Fashion Designers of America member, designer Christian Siriano. Siriano is hosting an exclusive, shoppable series titled Christian On. Each week, he’ll choose a phrase from a list of the most searched fashion terms on Pinterest and show viewers the tools they need to bring them to life. The live show, where Siriano gets to show the world what he loves about fashion, interior design, and style, airs on Pinterest every Monday at 6:00 pm.
Christian’s first two episodes have already aired. The first, on November 8, discussed his plans for the segment, as well as what inspires him for the fall season as he’s creating his collection from colors to trends to personalities. (His second episode segment was about wedding gowns: Maybe not our particular interest, but it was fun to watch him interact with friends and viewers via the channel’s chat.)
Other segments have included Daley baking cookies and learning some dance moves, Clark sharing Fall and Friendsgiving cocktail recipes (with a focus on accessible ingredients), and Eric Jones, a.k.a. Dude That Cookz, making a deconstructed tiramisu dessert. Dandy in the Bronx Diego Leon’s take on holiday menswear hacks debuted on November 22, just in time for Thanksgiving.
We had a chance to catch up with Siriano about Pinterest’s latest venture and how he suggests we might all benefit from taking in Pinterest TV. Pinterest can function as a real-time trend forecaster since so many people use it to keep track of their interests, so we wondered what Siriano might be seeing that might affect our holiday dressing purchases, not to mention our shopping habits.
“I actually see a lot of more elevated and formal looks than I have in the past,” Siriano points out. “I think men are taking more risks and they like getting dressed up, which has been nice to see. I think one of the best things about Pinterest is that you can curate so many different styles without anyone knowing what you like. It’s like a secret way of shopping and figuring out your style without having to be scared in a dressing room.”
Siriano is also seeing that men are investigating and sharing grooming tips on the app.
“I think men more than ever do care how they present themselves to the world. So, this grooming trend I think will only get bigger. It’s helping guys become more successful in their careers and love life so it’s a win-win.”
A lot of people think of Pinterest as more of a women’s app (a September 2021 survey on Statista shows that 71 percent of users are women), so are all of our girlfriends, wives, mothers, and go-to female buddies using Pinterest to keep tabs on our wardrobes?
“100 percent they are! It’s such an easy way for women to help style the men in their lives. You get to instantly see trends before they are even trendy and shop before ever having to buy something. It’s the best shopping cart of ideas ever.”
Like a lot of designers, Siriano himself keeps his signature style pretty simple because he’s around clothes all day, but he’s excited to see people getting dressed up again.
“That will be the biggest trend this holiday season. I think it’s better to be overdressed at the party than underdressed! I think the fit is the most important thing. I still see so many men wearing clothes that are so big but not in a cool oversized kind of way. I think guys shouldn’t be afraid to wear something that is fitted and tailored.”
Pinterest TV episodes are refreshed each weekday and recorded and available for Pinners to view on-demand to save and rewatch later. Episodes air Monday to Friday at 3:00 p.m. PDT / 6:00 p.m. EDT in the U.S. on iOS and Android. Best of all, on Fridays, products will drop in a live shopping setting where Pinners can take advantage of discounts from brands including All Birds, Crown Affair, Melody Ehsani, Outdoor Voices, Mented, and more.
