This past Sunday may have been the Super Bowl, but many of us were gathered on the opposite coast for a star-studded spectacle of our own. Quite literally, lights, camera, and action bursted outside the Upper East Side’s Harmony Club for designer Christian Cowan’s AW24 runway, where his signature star motifs dazzled a celebrity-ridden front row. The coveted seats were filled by the likes of Becky G, Bella Thorne, Avantika Vandanapu, and Sam Smith — who spearheaded a standing ovation with a bouquet of roses in hand.

The couturier’s penchant for stars has been evident since the brand’s inception in 2017, but this season, he leveraged stars beyond surface design. “My father, who was an astronomer, passed last year,” Cowan shared backstage after the show. “I really wanted to explore astronomy on a deeper level as an homage to him.” Cowan reflected upon his childhood memories under a telescope with his father, where they would point to and imagine “the infinite galaxies and all their possibilities.”

Now, he explores astronomy through his own medium of fashion. “I think I’ve found the same joy and imagination in fashion. When you have a needle and some fabric and some thread, there are endless opportunities and outcomes. So this collection celebrates astronomy, it celebrates my father.”

1940s-inspired flushed cheeks and voluminous mob-wife (or rather, “mob-boss,” as Cowan says) hair took over the runway in signature Cowan cocktails – whimsical sequin numbers trimmed with large stars. Other looks played with the motif in more subtle manners, with star-dotted pinstripes or studded embellishments — such as the plunging, open-back black pantsuit clad in silver and gold studs.

For a designer most recognised for his raucous downtown pageantry, he pulled out several surprises on the runway this season. Between the strong focus on sleek tailoring, the minimalist and clean lines of mesh tank gowns (though their breast-exposing sheerness was a Cowan classic), the reveal of his forthcoming Spring 2024 TOMS x Christian Cowan sneaker collection, and an exploration of “old money”, the label’s aesthetic is broadening and we’re obsessed.

Walking beneath chandeliers in satin ball gowns with mongolian lamb trim, the models — many of whom were 90s runway stars — looked fit for the private social club’s oak ballroom. When asked about this sense of wealthy glamour prevalent in the collection, Cowan shared that he wanted to pay homage to his mom, “an uptown-type of woman who takes no shit.”

“I also just wanted these women to be living their best lives! I wanted them to be powerful, to have it all,” he notes. The models undoubtedly seemed to be having a time – many waving cocktail glasses and cigarettes while sauntering down the runway. They initiated eye contact between twirls and spoof smiles towards the audience, one in a translucent New Look-inspired ensemble.

The dynamic conflation of times and places was certainly fitting of Cowan’s intention to “unlock infinite aspects of identity” through his clothing. In fact, he cited Lady Gaga as one of his most ongoing artistic influences. “I love that she’s never afraid to experiment, to try something new, to reinvent herself while still maintaining that strong sense of identity,” he shares. “She succeeds when she leans into every part of her imagination… and I love it all.”

An important player in Cowan’s career, Lady Gaga sought out a custom look while the designer was still a second-year at Central Saint Martins. “I was 18, and I don’t even know how she randomly found me online. But she loved my work and wanted a custom; she wasn’t afraid to take a chance.” The two have worked together ever since.

The collection was full of experimentation, but perhaps most notable was the final look. Created in partnership with Adobe, he unveiled the first-ever electronically-reconfigurable garment. In true Cowan fashion, the star-adorned dress shimmered down the runway – but with laser-cut liquid crystal “petals” that contain flexible circuit boards underneath, allowing them to shift tones in movement. This pioneering colour-changing garment showcased Cowan’s belief in the boundlessness of fashion, of experimenting with unprecedented directions while staying true to the brand’s identity. By embracing the experimentation, opportunity, and possibility central to his interpretation of astronomy, his poignant message of unlocking and embracing different facets of identity is one to remember.

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