Christian Cowan Dishes On His New Toms Collaboration—And Broadway!

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Christian Cowan is dipping his toes in yet another unique collaboration—literally! The beloved designer has teamed up with Toms on a new shoe capsule, revamping its staple espadrilles with a dramatic flair. We sat down with Cowan  to chat all things Toms—as well as the collab’s appearance in his Fall 2024 runway show, his history of footwear collaborations, and what to expect at New York Fashion Week.

Christian Cowan

How did this Toms collaboration happen?

I’ve always loved a collaboration. I think they’re so cool. They allow you to reach people with your creativity you can’t normally reach, and I think for a brand like mine, where we operate at a certain price point, it’s lovely to be able to release products that are genuinely creative that people at a lower price point can access [and] be part of the brand. I’ve worn Tom for years, and I remember them in my childhood. I like these brands that can really be part of pop culture in a larger way. Toms is worn by young and old alike. It has a place within fashion, but it’s also got a place of practicality. I like those things where you can see some fab young person wearing it, or you can see someone who works in a hospital wearing it, [and] you can see an older person wearing it. Those are the things that I find really interesting, those brands that have managed to span the breadth of the population. I was so excited to do some of them, but I’d worn their stuff before, and also I really appreciated how philanthropic and eco-friendly they are.

Christian Cowan x Toms

That’s great! How did you put your own Christian Cowan spin on Toms’ footwear?

I wanted to keep it to the classics, that beautiful canvas shape, because [it] is the most iconic to me in my mind. I always go for the one that is the thing that, if someone says “Toms,” is the thing that I picked through in my mind. When I was doing my creative spin, I had an idea that I wanted to do this floral motif and the Alpargatas [style] just held that the best. I wanted to do this oversized flower, and it held it in the best way. I did play around with a bunch of their different shoes in the office, and I stole a bunch of pairs for me and my office as well. But those are the perfect ones.

How did you choose the collaboration’s color palettes and details? They really complement your Fall 2024 collection!

There’s a few reasons why we chose it. One is, something my brand used to be known for a lot was a lot of checkerboard, black-and-white checkerboard [patterns]. We did it for seasons, and I gave it a bit of a break. I sometimes like to nod to it, so here, we did the black and the creamy white. But also, I wanted it to feel authentic to the the purest vision that I see Toms has. I think it’s always quite minimal and clean and chic. I wanted something that still spoke to that consumer, and then also fit perfectly with our collection. The flowers came from the collection before…the one I did in Paris, in that church when Sam [Smith] performed. I’ll have to Google which one that was. I did a collection all of flowers, and so it pulled from there, but I liked the natural tones. I think it worked with us and it worked with Toms.

Christian Cowan x Toms

Wonderful. The shoes also appeared in your Fall 2024 runway show. What was it like to show them at NYFW?

I was excited to see them because I think, without intending, [I] have become known for putting my models in towering stilettos every single season. I was like, “No, we don’t want to be this.” Don’t get me wrong. We love a towering stiletto! But also we want our fans to know that it’s fabulous to wear flats, too. The season before, I’d done it for the first time, putting people in platforms which were flat, but this season…I always like to look for what people really won’t expect from the Christian Cowan brand. I knew people wouldn’t expect [flats], so therefore it was the perfect choice for the show and the narrative. The narrative was that they’re these wealthy Upper East Side ladies who had been out to an event, and had gotten home to their giant homes and were swanning around. It made sense that they were in gowns, but slip off their heels into their flats. They added a lot of ostentatious, eccentric glamor. I liked the fusion of the two. It worked really well.

Christian Cowan x Toms

You’ve done a lot of footwear collaborations before—with Giuseppe Zanotti, Crocs, and now Toms. Will there be more shoe collabs in your future, or a second line with Toms?

Perhaps! It’s a fun part of my career. We’ve done everything. We’ve done Crocs, we’ve done Toms, and I think there’s such iconic shoe brands that I’ve always wanted to wait for the best. Maybe we’ll do another one with Toms. We’ll see! I would be absolutely delighted and honored to do so, because their talk is the same as their walk. They talk about being eco-friendly, and they talk about being a very kind company, and they really are that. It’s so nice when you work with a partner who’s just so kind and lovely to work with, and prioritizes your creativity, your team. They did that from start to finish. It was such a joy, and they invited me to be part of their campaign—and it was such a fun day where I got to meet all these amazing women. I’d be honored to work with them again—so, we’ll see!

Christian Cowan

How’s your summer been going so far? Have you had any fun vacations or trips, or anything special coming up?

So far, my summer has been going back and forth between Boston. I’m doing costume design for a Broadway show, something I always wanted to do, and the rehearsals of the pre-Broadway stint is in Boston. It’s The Queen of Versailles, and we’re having such a fun time working on that, so that occupies most of my time. We open in a week and a half or something. I’m Spanish, which I feel not many people actually know because I live in America and I have an English accent—but, I’m Spanish, so I’m going back to Spain to see my family, and I will also be going somewhere else. I think I’m going to Alaska at the end of the summer, or a few random places. I don’t know! Some fun places, but I do travel the whole time. I’m sure there’s some other cute spots.

Alaska! That sounds chilly!

I know! I never do chilly ones. I was in Mustique recently, which was so lovely and hot. Now, I’m craving some cold, especially in steamy, hot Boston and New York. I need some cold!

Can you give us any hints on what to expect from your next fashion show in September?

I don’t want to jinx it! Maybe it won’t be this show, maybe the one after. I really want to do an outdoor show. I’ve never done an outdoor show, so that’s on the bucket list. Just the theatrics I started to show in my last show, of the models sauntering down the runway with their glasses of wine and cigarettes and stuff. Just leaning into more of the dramatics and theatrical elements of my shows. For a long time I felt like I wasn’t allowed, maybe, to do that. But now, I’m just like, oh, I can. I can make my show whatever I wanted it to be! So, I think it’s going to get a bit more theatrical.

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