Who is Sam Smith’s boyfriend Christian Cowan? Singer holds hands with fashion designer at NYFW

Sam Smith and Christian Cowan have been turning heads.

The designer, born in Cambridge and a 2016 graduate of the London College of Fashion, shot to fame for his fearless, glitter-heavy looks. He soon built a star-studded fanbase. Think Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Heidi Klum, Lil Nas X, and Miley Cyrus.

Christian Cowan's big break came thanks to Cardi B back in 2018, when both of them were still climbing the ladder. As he told Refinery29 back then,

“I got the call from her team a long time ago, before ‘Bodak Yellow’ came out. I put her in a cropped sweatsuit and the reaction was insane. I’d never seen anything like it on my Instagram: I didn’t have mass production or sales setup yet, but I’d gotten 600 orders in two days.”

The rapper kept coming back, and Christian Cowan dressed her nearly a dozen times. While his work earned him global acclaim, his personal life made headlines, too.

Christian Cowan has been dating Sam Smith since 2022. At the 72 Magazine launch, the couple held hands in front of the cameras. Earlier, the duo also made their red-carpet debut at the Met Gala in May 2024.

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Christian Cowan on breaking sewing machines, studying fashion, and designing for Gaga:

Back in 2018, when Christian Cowan sat down with Refinery29, the designer was still adjusting to recognition. He revealed that his first dream had nothing to do with fashion.

“I wanted to be David Attenborough until I was about 12 years old (still do, to be honest),” he shared, explaining his childhood fascination with insects.

“Insects have the most varied range of designs, textures, and colors,” he explained.

That early interest in entomology gave way to fashion almost overnight.

“Out of the blue, I just decided I wanted to be a fashion designer,” shared Cowan.

Support from his parents played a key role.

“My parents only spoiled me when it came to my hobbies,” Cowan remembered.

As a child who wanted to be a fine artist, he was given oil paints. When he turned to fashion, his mother bought him a “rickety, 45 GBP sewing machine”, a tool he admitted did not last long.

And Christian Cowan's path through higher education was unconventional. After a foundation year at Central Saint Martins, he moved on to the London College of Fashion. He admitted he did not enjoy either experience, but giving up was never on the table. His “hardcore” mother kept him going. At the same time, his career was already pulling him beyond the classroom.

“I didn’t pass with flying colors because while I was studying, I was making things for Lady Gaga and doing Miley [Cyrus]’ tour,” he explained.

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Christian Cowan balances maximalist fashion with big-brand strategy:

He built his brand on sequins, feathers, and unapologetic glamour. But Christian Cowan revealed to Footwear News that he had bigger goals, to turn his label into a lifestyle house as recognizable as Versace. The year 2022 became a milestone. Christian Cowan launched his Essentials line and opened a flagship in New York’s SoHo. It was not a permanent shop but part of a retail strategy built on movement. Next stop? Las Vegas.

The pandemic also gave him a chance to pause.

“I matured a lot during the pandemic as a businessperson. Because for the first time, I wasn’t caught up in the day-to-day hustle. I had time to sit and be like, ‘What’s actually working for us? What isn’t,’” he shared.

Until that year, Christian Cowan had financed the company himself. In 2022, he secured minority investment, crediting his survival to flexibility.

“It goes back to what changed over the pandemic, in terms of my perspective, - thank gosh we have diverse revenue streams. We don’t just make money from selling to wholesalers,” he explained.

Direct-to-consumer sales led the way, boosted by partnerships like his collaboration with Crocs. Wholesale still had its place, but he wanted substance, not token rails.

“I’m not interested in having three pieces on a rail at a department store. It’s really about [finding] strong partners who place big orders and promote us on their channel,” he explained.

At Saks Fifth Avenue, where Cowan’s work featured prominently, enthusiasm was mutual. “Christian is always surprising us with what he comes up with next,” said Anna Irving, SVP, GMM Women’s Designer Ready to Wear.

“He embraces maximal fashion and never compromises his point of view. His ability to dress powerful women and produce commercial collaborations with a range of brands show his promise of becoming a household name,” she added.