Fall is the time when school is back in session, meeting schedules ramp up, the leaves start to change color and fashion month makes us think about what we are wearing and what we want to wear for the season. Fashion Week in New York kicks off the whirlwind of designers displaying their latest creations on artistically styled models in a 15-minute runway strut.
The highlight of my New York Fashion Week experience this year was meeting designer Cynthia Rowley. A native of Chicago, Rowley attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she first demonstrated her adventurous spirit and need to redefine boundaries by using wings in her design. She was disqualified because it was viewed as “over the top.” Not to be discouraged, Rowley moved to New York City where, in 1988, she launched her first capsule collection. Starting with $3,000 in seed money, she proceeded to grow her fledgling line into a global brand, including women’s wear, swimwear/wetsuits, handbags, glasses, cosmetic and home furnishings.
The author in Cynthia Rowley dress
Meeting Cynthia Rowley
In person, Cynthia Rowley exudes determination and grace in an elegant but edgy surfer girl package (her love of surfing is well known). She is wearing one of her own creations, a black cotton dress with a fitted, layered ruffle skirt. The look is iconic and would fit in anywhere from New York City to the Carolina beaches. Discussing her background, Rowley spoke about the irony of choosing to be a fashion designer over an artist because it was “easier.” The reality is, the fashion industry is fast paced, requiring her to turn out a new collection every two months, in addition to her monthly collaborations. That said, “It is the most fun you can have” Rowley admits..
Rowley Styling Yve
Rowley’s goal is to design clothes that make people feel happy and confident. She said, “People’s closets are like a scrapbook, where you take out your favorite piece and it reminds you of the adventure you had while wearing it.” She further said, “If she cannot go with you on the adventure, at least one of her creations can.”
As my friend Judy says, about Cynthia Rowley, I love her clothes because they fit all body types and make you look and feel great.” Indeed, while speaking with Rowley in her West Village store, I observed women with varying shapes and sizes find outfits that made them look fantastic.
Cynthia Rowley SS20
Her Spring/Summer 2020 Fashion Show
The next day, sitting in the front row of Cynthia Rowley’s runway show, I felt excited. The “red carpet” for this event was illustrated with Doctor Seuss’s Oh, The Places You Will Go and was lined with huge multi-colored balloons. In keeping with this fantastical theme, the models adorned beautiful flowing outfits with striped hats straight out of The Cat in the Hat. Models wore beautiful flowing dresses, short cover ups, bi-colored leg-lengthening trousers and of course, her signature sustainably made rash guards.
Cynthia Rowley SS20
In addition to the whimsy created by her Seuss theme, in Rowley’s finale, the models carried suit cases and surf boards, letting you know that she was designing for your next escapade.
Vogue once said Cynthia Rowley creates an “air of easy-going happiness.” I agree. Her creations give the wearer a feeling of happiness and adventure, with an added hint of rebel, all wrapped in a pretty package.
