“Camp” has been a central element of Christian Cowan’s brand since he established his label in 2017, and for spring 2025, the designer showed his broader interpretation of the style.
“It’s been really an exploration in preserving our camp roots, but also camp doesn’t need to be pink with bows on it and so on,” he said. “It’s more theatrical camp.”
Cowan leaned into the theatrics for his runway show staged at helipad Blade East, centering the collection on the story of a murder mystery at a Viennese ball. Models walked the runway suspiciously pointing at the audience while wearing an array of daring eveningwear that exuded his signature playfulness.
“I’m really still in this phase of cementing my house codes,” he said. “We’re really in a place where we know what our customers love from us. It sells out every time we put it on the site, so it’s just expanding that out and creating new stories from one-off moments.”
The lineup reflected that exploration. His signature star motif came through in new iterations, like a star cutout silver sequin dress, and he blended his “C” logo with a collaboration with Smiley seen on several styles. Unlike the designer’s fall collection that showcased more mature eveningwear, the spring collection displayed his strength in youthful party wear with sensual styles like leather cut out and lingerie-inspired pieces.
The designer’s tailored looks balanced the collection’s camp factor. Cowan recreated the metal rose embellished suit he made for himself and his partner Sam Smith for the Met Gala in white and cobalt blue.
The collection showed the designer’s ability to ground his theatrical inspiration in a cohesive and exciting way that still felt true to his DNA.
