Christian Cowan Brought Paris Hilton And The Razr Back Together For NYFW

Christian Cowan called upon and his closest and coolest friends to up the fashion-film ante for his Fall 2021 presentation. Continuing his collaboration with Motorola razr, Cowan teamed up with director Matthew Frost on a star-studded film, titled A Fashion Thing.

"I wanted to modernize the spirit of the 2000s and give people what they’re currently craving: extravagance, glamour, irony and over-the-top fashion," Cowan tells NYLON. "The razr was such a clear choice for the film and lookbook, as it symbolizes the iconic pop-culture moments we love with a modern fresh design. It’s sleek, it’s glamorous, it’s iconic and it connects us to our loved ones, which is exactly what I was aiming to portray in my NYFW film."

He would have been remiss to not include early-aughts icon Paris Hilton, who's just one part of a motley crew of fashion players, like Justine Skye, Aquaria, Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, Rachel Cargle, Mermaid, Aqua Pairos, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Richie Shazam, and more.

"You can’t deny, Paris and the razr back together is a match made in heaven," says Cowan.

Ahead, the designer spoke to NYLON about the new film (which you can watch below), his nostalgic love for the razr, and more.

There is such an eclectic group of people involved in this. How did you choose who to include?

I wanted to reflect what makes NYC so amazing. That’s the amazing mix of different people. So I reached out to models, ballroom voguers, Upper East Side icons, philanthropists, drag queens, and, of course, SNL.

Where did the idea for a film presentation come from?

Since we can’t do shows, I felt we should push ourselves to create unique captivating content. I worked with writers and stars from SNL to make it a fashion comedy hybrid!

How have you been adapting your brand over the past year?

We work remotely now. It comes with its challenges, but we have worked around those.

Do you miss IRL fashion shows?

I do! But I also love the creative opportunities that come with doing a film.

What has it been like working with the razr on these projects?

Working with razr on these projects has been a dream. I’ve been using the razr since I was a teen and I can still remember that excitement I felt when I got my first one. It was just so cool. I couldn’t wait to show it off to my friends. I mean, how cool is it that you can flip the phone shut to hang up on someone and easily fit it in your pocket when you’re done and want to just disconnect? And I still have that same feeling today, which is why I knew I had to work with the brand. It’s not just a phone, it’s a fashion accessory that really complements my sleek, sexy yet sophisticated designs!

This collaboration is actually the second time I’ve worked with Motorola razr. I recently teamed up with them to launch a collection of chic micro purses made to perfectly — and only — fit razr’s latest 5G device. The Christian Cowan x razr collection was my entry into the handbag category, and the collaboration was such a successful and organic partnership that it just felt like it made sense to team up again.