Sam Smith maybe I’ll walk down the aisle sooner rather than later!
The singer-songwriter, who identifies as non-binary and uses “they/them” pronouns, attended the annual Met Gala with their longtime pal, the fashion designer. Christian Cowan.
The duo put on a touching display of love and unity on the red carpet, with sources saying Sam Smith and Christian Cowan’s PDA came from a different reason.
Sam Smith and Christian Cowan are reportedly engaged
On Monday, May 4, the “Unholy” hitmaker and their fashion designer partner donned matching all-black ensembles for the 2026 Met Gala. Hours before the event, sources reportedly overheard them discussing their engagement at the Mark Hotel.
“From what I understand, it was a private engagement,” a hotel lobby source told Page Six. They claimed the couple “were over the moon and, from what I’ve heard, so in love!” Another insider echoed similar sentiments about Smith and Cowan, confirming the engagement news.
Smith seemingly hinted at their engagement to Cowan on Instagram, sharing a carousel of images detailing their Met Gala ensembles. One photo was a solo shot of the fashion designer, complete with a huge square yellow diamond on his left ring finger.
The fashion designer chose the singer’s outfit for a special reason
“I’ve always loved Erté. I love how he brought the art of costuming to the world through his visionary illustrations. The famous opulence and craftsmanship of the 1920s. 255,000 individual crystals and beads. 2,000 hours of artisan hand sewing. This look is a love letter to the king of… pic.twitter.com/0rvP4YQEVY
– SAM SMITH (@samsmith) May 5, 2026
Along with the photos of Smith and Cowan in their stunning Met Gala outfits, there was a photo featuring a statement from Cowan about his reasoning behind Smith’s ensemble. The designer explained that he has always loved Erté’s costume art and visionary illustrations.
Cowan’s admiration for Erté motivated him to design Smith’s outfit with “the infamous opulence and craftsmanship of the 1920s”. The ornate coat featured “255,000 individual crystals and beads” and “2,000 hours of artisan hand stitching.” Cowan added:
“This look is a love letter to the king of fashion illustration and my love, Sam.”
Celebrity appears to confirm engagement news
The comments section of the Instagram update was filled with praise for Cowan’s design skills and Smith for carrying off the couture look of the costumes effortlessly. Among the praise, there was a single comment that stood out because it seemed to focus on the huge square yellow diamond on Cowan’s finger.
Jordan Roth, creative director of ATG Entertainment, wrote: “Divine!! And congratulations again!” His words seemed to allude to the reported engagement between Smith and Cowan. Roth wasn’t the only one who noticed, as a separate post about the duo’s Met Gala look caught a fan’s attention.
“Um….Christians are ringing,” the fan pointed out. On the other hand, more IG users were more intrigued by Smith and Cowan’s outfits, with someone calling both of their ensembles “Exquisite.” Another agreed, applauding Cowan for his incredible design skills.
Timeline of Sam Smith and Christian Cowan’s relationship
Nearly four years ago, Smith and Cowan first sparked dating rumors in December 2022. They posed together for a photo with then-President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff at the White House.
A month later, Smith and Cowan visited a tattoo studio in Sydney, Australia, and were later spotted on a walk in New York. There have been other couple sightings in 2023, including a viral photo of Smith kissing Cowan on the head. They finally made their appearance on the red carpet at the 2024 Met Gala.
The same year, Cowan confirmed in an interview that he and Smith had been dating for around two years. PEOPLE reported that their relationship grew even stronger with Smith rocking many of Cowan’s creations at events, including their “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” music video.
The five-time Grammy winner once felt like he was “behind” in love
Before meeting Cowan, Smith once admitted that they had little experience when it came to love. In a 2017 interview with Billboard, the singer-songwriter explained that they felt “a little behind” in their relationships. “I wish I had been in a long-term relationship at that age,” Smith lamented.
They explained that they moved to London when they were 19 after growing up in an area where they were the only gay people at school and in their village. Smith thought they would have been more “emotionally richer” if they had been in a long-term relationship earlier, but it wasn’t easy for them growing up.
“It’s not going to get any easier for me now, is it?” Smith added. Their words came amid reports of their speculated romance with “13 Reasons Why” actor Brandon Flynn. They’ve also been romantically involved with model Jonathan Zeizel, Olympic swimmer Tom Daley and more, according to Poptales.