How Christian Cowan’s silver star dress took over Hollywood – and went high-tech

In the ever-more-competitive fashion industry, Christian Cowan’s still shooting for the stars.

The London-bred, New York-based designer’s colorful sequined and feathered creations have earned him famous fans like Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X and Cardi B — but no piece so perfectly embodies his “more is more” aesthetic as his signature silver dress spangled with rows of gleaming, graduated star-shaped paillettes.

“The idea came from my love of astronomy,” Cowan tells Page Six Style of the concept behind his most recognizable design, versions of which have been worn by Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum and Kylie Minogue.

Gwen Stefani fittingly picked the celestial mini for her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in October 2023. Getty Images Kathryn Newton wore a sleeveless iteration to a “Lisa Frankenstein” screening earlier this month. Getty Images for Focus Features

“My dad, when I was younger, would teach me about the night sky, and I always thought about how a black void with these little glimmers of light can spark so much imagination, these endless possibilities. I found that same creativity and freedom and imagination in a sewing machine and fabric; two simple things, but you’ve got endless identities and possibilities.”

Sentimental ties aside, Cowan suspects there are other reasons why the starry style has become such a hit with stars of the Hollywood variety.

“You put it on and it’s fun! It makes noise — I love a dress that makes noise. When someone’s twirling around in it, it shimmers and it reflects the light everywhere; there’s so many dimensions to it,” he says.

“You can really dance in it, get down and have a good time at a party.”

At the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Heidi Klum opted for a version covered in silver discs instead of stars. Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Cowan showed his very first starry design during his debut runway show at New York Fashion Week in 2017, tapping the ultimate party girl to model the piece: Paris Hilton.

“I had luckily met Paris at a dinner and just asked her, and she’s so supportive of young talent that she did it for free. She was an angel,” he recalls.

Along with strutting the catwalk in a celestial pink two-piece set, Hilton closed the show in a sparkling gown with a skirt completely covered in the growing silver discs that’d quickly become his calling card.

Cowan cast Paris Hilton in his first-ever runway show in February 2017. Getty Images for Christian Cowan The heiress-turned-entrepreneur closed the show in a gown that laid the foundation for the designer’s growing star dress. Arun Nevader In December 2023, Hilton wore the modern mini version to the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball. WireImage,

“I just like to subvert classic things,” Cowan says. “I was like, ‘I just want the sequin as a staple of my brand. How do I distort this?’ I just loved the idea that it kept on growing and growing; on Paris’ dress, one was a yard wide.”

Now, he’s putting a high-tech twist on the motif, having incorporated Adobe Primrose technology into the final look from his fall 2024 collection: a growing star dress featuring laser-cut polymer dispersed liquid crystal “petals” that can change color and even display animated patterns, all with the push of a button.

Cowan tells us he stumbled across Adobe’s original Primrose design while “doomscrolling” on social media; despite having turned down collaborations with tech companies in the past for looking too “crafty” and “costume-y,” he was instantly intrigued.

During his most recent runway show at New York Fashion Week this month, Cowan unveiled a new growing star dress powered by Adobe’s Project Primrose. Getty Images The design features a flexible circuit board overlaid with over 1,000 laser-cut polymer dispersed liquid crystal “petals” that electronically change appearance. Getty Images

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“I wanted to expand our iconic growing stars; sequins reflect light, but this creates its own effect. You don’t need the light to do it, which I thought was such a cool evolution. It’s genuinely really impressive.”

As for which of Cowan’s many celebrity fans might get her hands on the cutting-edge creation first, he’s hoping for Gaga — “she’s always been such a champion of tech and fashion” — or Doja Cat, who “has such a unique perspective.”

Dolly Parton’s on his wish list too, along with a more unexpected pick.

“I think if I added a veil of transparent organza, it’d be great for Tilda Swinton,” he says. “I’d love to do an ethereal Tilda vibe.”