• Adobe x Christian Cowan Dress Powered by Primrose Technology unveiled at the designer’s Fall/Winter 2024 New York Fashion Week show.
• Primrose technology empowers designers to dream bigger, envisioning garments that evolve and interact with their environment; unique look created using laser-cut polymer dispersed liquid crystal “petals” that electronically change appearance into Cowan's iconic stars.
• Adobe products integral to the first-of-its-kind runway dress design; Adobe Illustrator used for sketching the patterns and computationally mapping the petal positions, and Adobe After Effects for motion graphics.

Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) and fashion designer Christian Cowan joined forces to unveil the first-ever wearable and electronically reconfigurable garment crafted using Adobe Primrose technology at the designer’s Fall/Winter 2024 New York Fashion Week show. This unique collaboration between Adobe and Christian Cowan shines a light on a path forward to a future where creatives can reimagine the limits of what's possible in fashion design using revolutionary technology.

The “Adobe x Christian Cowan Dress Powered by Primrose Technology” debuted as the new Fall/Winter collection’s main look at the designer’s runway show. The unique design uses laser-cut polymer dispersed liquid crystal “petals” that electronically change appearance into Cowan’s iconic stars, bringing the dress to life in an instant. Under each column of petals is an underlay with a flexible printed circuit board, allowing the petals to alternate and shift between shades of gray and ivory. The dynamic dress unlocks boundless possibilities in fashion design, showcasing how static clothing can be transformed into dynamic expressions of art and technology.

“As someone who is always trying to push the limits and embrace new ways of working, after seeing what the Project Primrose technology was capable of, I was very eager to further explore this intersection between fashion and tech and collaborate with Adobe for my F/W ‘24 NYFW,” said Christian Cowan. "I was immediately inspired by its potential and was particularly drawn to the notion of sustainability behind it with the ability to create multiple iterations of a singular garment. I am honored to be the first designer to showcase how this impactful technology can be used to bring fabric and designs to life in ways like never before.”

The reveal of the Adobe Primrose dress at Adobe MAX 2023, was a pivotal moment in showcasing this innovative technology that transforms fabric into a living, breathing work of art. In less than two months following the conference, the collaboration with Cowan went from concept to a wearable piece, marking an incredible accomplishment for both Adobe and Christian Cowan.

“We are very proud of this collaboration with Christian Cowan which not only empowers designers to dream bigger and envision garments that evolve and interact with their environment, but also underscores how Adobe's suite of products can help pioneer new realms of possibility,” said Gavin Miller, Head of Adobe Research. “With Primrose, traditional clothing, once static, can now be transformed into dynamic expressions of art and technology, and the Adobe x Christian Cowan Dress Powered by Primrose technology exemplifies Adobe’s continued vision to shape the future of creativity and design.”

Behind this one-of-a-kind creation were Adobe’s own tools, which were integral at every stage of the design process. Adobe Illustrator laid the groundwork, mapping out the flexible printed circuit boards and petal positions, and sketching the patterns while Adobe After Effects breathed life into the dress, animating it with captivating motion graphics.

Creativity and technology are becoming increasingly intertwined. Paris Fashion Week 2021 saw an Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator custom designed haute couture garment walk the runway, while 3D design within the fashion industry is leading to shorter product creation cycles, cost savings and increased sustainability with digital workflows, as Adobe Substance tools are used to create realistic 3D visuals and prototypes.