Christian Cowan and Sam Smith

After dating for nearly two years, pop superstar Sam Smith and fashion designer Christian Cowan used the wildest night in fashion to make their relationship red carpet official.

On Monday, Smith and Cowan climbed the Met Gala’s vaulted steps hand-in-hand while both wearing custom ensembles created by Cowan.

It was quite possibly the chicest hard launch in queer romance history!

The duo’s complementary tuxedos featured Cowan in white, while Smith’s was black with a chiffon skirt overlay. Both were also adorned with red roses dipped in gold and silver.

For Smith it proved to an extra special evening as it was also their first time at the Met Gala.

“I couldn’t have dreamed of a better companion for the occasion,” the 31-year-old singer told Vogue. “I think of the Gala as fashion Christmas—just as fabulous and just as serious, given the incredible work done at the Met.”

The romantic partners’ first ignited their love affair after Cowan created outfits for Smith’s “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” music video in 2022.

Cowan’s career initially exploded due in part to exposure from from gay pop icons like Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.

Born in the UK, he is a graduate of the London College of Fashion and started his eponymous label in 2016.

After getting his early creations on Lady Gaga, Cardi B became a fan right before her 2017 single “Bodak Yellow” blew up.

“I put her in a cropped sweatsuit and the reaction was insane,” he previously told Refinery29. “I’d never seen anything like it on my Instagram: I didn’t have mass production or sales set up yet, but I’d gotten 600 orders in two days.”

He then landed the cover of Cardi’s iconic 2018 album Invasion of Privacy, which propelled him to the next level.

That same year, Cowan was a finalist for CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, which helps emerging designers with mentorship and connections, as well as much-needed cash for their burgeoning fashion lines.

In the years since, Cowan, 29, has gone on to work with the biggest names in the industry having dressed Madonna, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Shakira, Lil Nas X and Kylie Minogue, among a long list of others.

Cowan also knows how to serve an insane runway.

His fashion shows are exuberant with a clubby atmosphere on the catwalk and for those lucky enough to snag a seat in the front row.

Since their business relationship became personal, Cowan and Smith have gone on to collaborate multiple times.

Smith performed at Cowan’s Paris runway show and the designer returned the favor by creating designs for the “Unholy” singer’s recent Gloria World Tour.

Now that the pair have officially gone public with their relationship, we’re extra excited to see what projects they will join forces on next.

In the meantime, check out a few more shots of Cowan and his impeccable handiwork below:

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated