Christian Cowan Hosted a Virtual Presentation of His Latest Collection for Vogue100

He (Christian Cowan, designer of high-wattage fashion) was in Berlin. The audience (Vogue editors and members of the Vogue100) were all over—New York, Miami, London. Thanks to Zoom, Cowan was able to showcase his latest pieces to his eager viewers. Out of his hotel room at the Soho Berlin, Cowan and Vogue’s Allie Michler led a conversation centered on cocktails and cocktail dresses. 

The hour-long event went like this. Cowan, who has just finished his Spring 2021 collection and wrapped on filming Germany’s Next Top Model with Heidi Klum, was up late in his hotel room with a rack of his becrystalled look-at-me looks and Toni Dreher, an elegant model, at the ready to try them on. 

But first was a Q&A session led by Michler. Cowan, as a former CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists, was part of a fashion competition that helped to launch his career. Would he have done anything differently? “I would say that I didn’t need to turn my hair green,” joked the designer, who sported a Billie Eilish-esque slime green ’do before the singer even came onto the scene throughout his time in the Fund. 

His looks are ones meant for the red carpet, and his fans are ones with Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys on their bookcases at home. What that means is Cowan is often creating one-of-a-kind pieces in addition to his ready-to-wear collections. How do the two processes differ? asked Michler. 

“I love collaboration. You can see that through my career. I’ve done a lot of collaborations, whether it’s [with] artists or it’s companies or whatever. I just think it’s really fun. I think you learn more about your own creative process because you kind of push it into a different thing while you’re working with someone else. So I love that,” he said. “And different musicians work differently. So like Lady Gaga, she wants whatever you re going to give her. She’s not asking for changes, I love it. But then with other people, it’s a really collaborative process—like Miley Cyrus, draws with you. She sends you sketches. I do quite enjoy that because you really feel like you’re going on a journey together.”

All the while, guests were sipping on a very special Patrón tequila that they were sent in advance to enjoy in unison. “Cheers!” would take on like a wave at a sporting event every once in a while as a guest raised his or her cocktail to the screen. 

After the Q&A, Dreher slipped into Cowan’s creations. What proceeded was a mini-fashion show with Dreher serving looks into Cowan’s laptop and the designer walking us through them. This one featured Swarovski crystals in the shape of fireworks because florals, per the designer, were not groundbreaking. Another one, a jacket with billowing sleeves, featured “a lot of yardage—they re like 50 pleats in each one,” he said. 

Before Cowan bid us all gute nacht, he took a moment to speak on the Loveland Foundation. In collaboration with Lil Nas X, sales from Cowan’s Spring 2021 collection—which featured a campaign starring the likes of Marc Jacobs and Amanda Lepore—will benefit the nonprofit, which provides support to communities of color.