Peacocking is left to his wardrobe. It's possible that Cowan's vision of peaceful domesticity stands in stark contrast to the flamboyance of his collections.

Christian Cowan's fingers and arms are covered in small tattoos, including a pale stag, a walrus, a sewing needle, and the word "intimacy," which is hardly discernible due to its faintness. At Sant Ambroeus in Greenwich Village last month, Cowan admitted, "I'm an introvert," over a plate of vegetarian rigatoni. If I'm feeling the desire for attention, I channel it into my art. As quiet as his ink is, his art is ....