Designer Christian Cowan transformed a NYFW runway show into a cinematic scene straight out of a classic crime noir earlier this month.
It was a dark, brisk night on the Blade helicopter pad in Midtown Sept. 8, with the long esplanade lit only by a spotlight as models ran one by one escaping an unknown assailant or perhaps the fashion police. Similar to the 1948 film Naked City, with the city skyline as the backdrop to a thrilling chase except instead of a dastardly criminal, Cowan utilized beautiful models who dramatically threw up their arms in fear, fleeing in block-colored gowns by the edge of the water.
“I wanted something that felt a bit sinister and mysterious like the cinematic world I’m often inspired by, which this collection is really riffing off of and I’ve taken helicopters from here so many times before so it’s very bizarre to be doing a fashion show here,” Cowan told amNewYork Metro.
Cowan looked to keep things fresh while maintaining his usual flair for the dramatic and grandeur utilizing storytelling to unveil a Spring/Summer 2025 line of clothing that enraptured audiences.
“This collection for me is a bit of a departure in terms of there is no pink, there is no sequence, there is no stars, no feathers…things that I’m really known for [showing] every time. They are not here this time,” Cowan added.
It is this knack for the melodramatic that first enticed Canadian model Coco Rocha to Christian Cowan. Coco Rocha told amNewYork Metro that her relationship with his designs began with a disco ball dress and since then he has brought funky style into her life.
“Funny enough, one of the shows he had a very amazing, over-the-top disco ball [dress] and I wanted to wear it to one of my events and that was the beginning of my relationship. I love the humor, I love the fun in it all, the over-the-top exaggerated. I’m excited to see what’s next on…where are we…a helicopter pad,” Coco Rocha exclaimed.
Cowan’s designs have always told a story, and it is his masterful craftmanship for the theatrical that entranced actress Laverne Cox.
“I love the drama of the models,” Cox gushed over Cowan’s performance style show.
“The story for me was a sort of [depicting]—because of the music—these girls [who are] coming too late from the party and it’s like 7am and they’ve escaped from the party, and they are really high and drunk, and they feel like they maybe being chased down by some stranger. Maybe they are running to try and escape but they look they look fabulous while they are doing it. So, there is this derange drunken, drug induced escape from the club,” Cox said, imagining the multitude of storylines that could follow Cowan’s runway.
“It made me feel like 90s New York if I’m honest particularly because of the way the girls walked and the drama of it all. I love the uniformity of the hair and the skinny brow that is very 20s and was also very 90s. [It] evoked very 90s drag queens to me and 90s super models,” Cox said.
Speaking of the dramatic, singer Jojo Siwa made her grand entrance to Cowan’s show donning one of his intricate designs, a fuzzy ball shaped dress that made the celebrity feel like a true rockstar.
“Christian is absolutely genius,” Jojo told amNewYork Metro. “Look at what I am wearing! He is so unafraid to be different. He is not afraid to have fun and I think that is very hard to find in 2024.”
“It was so fun. I felt so invested. Like okay, wait, who are we running away from, okay who are we looking for,” Jojo added.
Genius was the exact word actress Kristin Chenoweth used to describe Cowan’s work. She shared that he will be designing the costumes for her next Broadway show and decided to show her support for the master of fashion.
“He is designing costumes for my next Broadway show that’s why I am here because he is a genius,” Chenoweth said.
