Christian Cowan presented his Spring Summer 2027 collection at The Glasshouse in New York City, framing old Hollywood glamour through ideas of feminine identity, performance and self-creation. Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust informed the collection, particularly its vision of Hollywood as a place shaped by fantasy and collective desire. Cowan applies that reference to the actress and the relationship between her private identity and public character.
SPRING SUMMER 2027
The collection considers glamour as a visual language that women can use to perform, transform, seduce, conceal and shape their own image. Cowan explores the techniques associated with screen-era femininity through sculpted waists, corsetry, illuminated surfaces and silhouettes that emphasize gesture. His approach treats the actress as an active participant in the construction of the image that audiences see.
Original textiles dating from the 1920s and 1950s connect that idea directly to earlier decades. Cowan collected archival fabrics and introduced them into contemporary garments, giving materials from those periods a new context on the body. Lace, crystal and corsetry reference an era when silhouette, gesture and light helped define screen glamour.
Individual looks develop that research through elaborate fabric treatments and construction. Sculptural taffeta florals appear alongside crystal corsetry, while fluid silk gowns feature plunging backs and sweeping cutouts. Cowan reworks a handmade lace panel from the 1950s into a sculptural neckline and collar. A separate embroidered, sequined and beaded panel from the 1930s extends into a dramatic train.
Volume also shapes several silhouettes. A gathered taffeta ball skirt creates the impression of fabric caught mid-fall. Elsewhere, Cowan layers a black silk mini over a floor-length neon pink organza sheath, using differences in length, opacity and color to alter the proportions of the look. These pieces join archival textiles with taffeta, silk, organza, lace, crystals, sequins and beads throughout the collection.
Schutz, the season’s official footwear partner, supplied shoes for every runway look. The selection included thong sandals, sleep pumps, wedges and mules in classic, sensual silhouettes.
The beauty team worked with several official partners backstage. TRESemmé handled hair care, The Face Shop supplied skincare and KISS handled nails. Pinkberry provided backstage treats at the end of the summer season.
Guests at The Glasshouse included Victoria Monét, Bad Gyal, Yung Miami, Lucy Freyer, Anna Van Patten, Rei Ami, Jenna Lyons and Jordan Chiles.
For Spring Summer 2027, Cowan draws from Hollywood mythology and the visual codes associated with actresses of earlier decades. Archival materials, sculpted silhouettes, crystal surfaces and dramatic eveningwear allow him to examine glamour as something women can construct, perform and author themselves.
