New York Loves Christian Cowan: Fashion's Rising King of Camp

Christian Cowan: Fashion's Rising King of Camp

Since Christian Cowan’s NYFW debut, the rising London designer has racked up an impressive list of pop star clients, from Miley Cyrus to Lady Gaga and Fergie. Through his glitter-bombed, flamboyant looks, he’s become NYC’s rising king of camp—a position previously filled by legends like Heatherette and Jeremy Scott.

For his spring ’18 presentation, Cowan made the bold declaration, “New York Loves Me,” proving its truth by filling Indochine with fashion industry powerhouses, from celebrity stylist Law Roach to Vogue’s Lynn Yaeger.

The intimate space was perfect for Cowan, decorated with palm plants, his name lit up in neon and guests seated in booths, not rows, with restaurant menus for show details. An ultra-glam disco soundtrack ushered in 24 playful looks, some of which built off Cowan’s now-signature silhouettes while other’s introduced an elevated chapter.

Tweed pink chaps, monstrous wide-brimmed hats and cropped sweatsuits, famously worn by Cardi B, all built off the designer’s campy classics. This lineup saw Cowan playing with more tailored looks, from structured suits in magenta zebra print and glistening cherry-red sequins to a standout head-to-toe silver glitter number, worn by Jazzelle.

Cowan introduced his version of luxury eveningwear this season, naturally with an outlandish queer twist. RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Violet Chachki notably wore his pastel cocktail dress with a bow so large, it looked to be stolen from Veruca Salt’s birthday party. And the final gown stacked ruffles with a glittery honeycomb bodice—a shoe-in for Queen Bey.

Photography: Kohl Murdock