Christian Cowan is putting camp into commuting.
The fashion designer Wednesday released his latest viral collaboration: a humorous, wearable “Sweet Seat” in collaboration with Candy Crush. The partnership includes a limited-edition hybrid beanbag-meets-top covered in a blown-up print of the tile-matching game’s brightly colored shapes.
“These weird, fun and eccentric pop culture collaborations have kind of been part of my brand since Day One,” said Cowan, who’s previously teamed up with Teletubbies, Doritos and Crocs. Known for his glamorous, megawatt gowns and club-minded party fashions, the designer said each of his playful partnerships is designed to “delve into the pop culture zeitgeist a bit more.”
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“I’ve been playing Candy Crush for years — work, we love it,” said Cowan, adding that coincidentally, his London home was located nearby the Candy Crush head office. “It’s so funny that it’s always been there in my life.”
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“What I loved is [the Candy Crush team] was down to do something genuinely fun, creative and wild, which was music to my ears. A lot of people play Candy Crush on their commute, and the commute in general sucks because you can’t find a seat, or it’s uncomfortable, so we thought it was jokes to do a dress where you don’t need a seat and can sit wherever you are, because it’s built in. It’s so completely campy, silly and fun; the idea that you’ve always got a ‘Sweet Seat’ and you can sit wherever you want to go.”
The Christian Cowan x Candy Crush Sweet Seat, noted to be made up of printed lycra with eco-friendly filling, is available exclusively on Cowan’s e-commerce website for $1,000. The shoppable style does not include the hat, gloves or lengthy leggings, as seen here, which were designed for styling purposes and said to be inspired by Cowan’s long term inspiration: club kids — specifically Leigh Bowery and his iconic hat shapes.
“I just wanted it to be this to be a cuckoo-banana, having-a-good-time look,” he said of the more-is-more outfit, adding marketing for the collaboration will mostly play through social media. “This is really a viral-moment type piece, so to do stuff in the real world doesn’t make sense. Here it’s about the caption being funny and silly — reposting the memes people make. I like leaning into the roast of something rather than trying to create your own.”
Cowan said he’s currently working on one of his largest collections to date for the spring 2024 season (although the designer was noticeably missing from the CFDA’s New York Fashion Week calendar that was released this week).