Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life and creative journey of Cynthia Rowley — from her early art beginnings to becoming a celebrated American fashion designer. Discover her signature style, philosophy, achievements, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Cynthia Rowley (born July 29, 1958) is an American fashion designer, author, television personality, and creative entrepreneur. Known for her whimsical, feminine, and adventurous aesthetic, Rowley has built a lifestyle brand that spans women’s wear, accessories, home goods, and more. Her philosophy blends art, risk-taking, and joy. In this article, we’ll trace her path from Illinois to New York’s fashion scene, unpack her design sensibilities and business evolution, and highlight her most resonant quotes.

Early Life and Education

Cynthia Rowley was born on July 29, 1958, in Barrington, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago.

She made her first dress around age seven, showing that fashion and making things were part of her early identity.

Rowley attended Barrington High School and then went on to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts, graduating in 1988.

While still a student, she caught the attention of Marshall Field’s, which bought her first collection. That early affirmation gave her the confidence to move to New York and pursue fashion full time.

Career and Achievements

Early Launch & Growth

With about US$3,000 in seed money from one of her grandmothers, Rowley moved to New York after finishing school. handbags, eyewear, fragrance, swimwear, home furnishings, office accessories, and more.

By the mid-1990s, Rowley’s brand had gained enough momentum that she was awarded the Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1994.

Rowley’s designs are often described by critics as “flirty, vibrantly colored dresses and tops in wispy materials,” evoking a carefree, spirited sensibility. Her aesthetic often weaves together art, travel, femininity, and playful pattern mixing.

Brand Diversification & Media Presence

Rowley did not limit her brand to fashion alone. She launched a home decor line called Swell, which debuted at Target in 2003. Mr. Powers, honoring her husband.

Her brand’s reach extended into media. She has served as a judge or guest on television shows including America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway, Design Star, and 24 Hour Catwalk. Slim: A Fantasy Memoir, The Swell Dressed Party, Home Swell Home, and others.

Her fashion shows routinely appear at New York Fashion Week, and the label operates flagship stores in New York, Montauk, Houston, Greenwich, and Newport Beach, in addition to its online presence.

Rowley also extended into activewear: in 2015, she debuted her first fitness line during New York Fashion Week, applying her signature aesthetic of bold graphics and functional design.

Personal Life & Leadership

Rowley’s personal life has had its phases. Her first husband, photographer Tom Sullivan, died in 1994. Kit Keenan (born 1999). Ageless.

Rowley’s vision has always straddled art and commerce. She has often emphasized risk-taking, curiosity, and following instincts — traits that allowed her to expand into unexpected territories and evolve her brand over decades.

Personality & Design Philosophy

A number of recurring themes emerge from Cynthia Rowley’s interviews, design work, and public statements:

• Playfulness & whimsy: She often embraces prints, patterns, textures, and surprises (e.g., mixing rugged and delicate elements).

• Art + design integration: Rowley sees art as deeply influencing her approach to design — not just as decoration but as shaping how she conceives the relationship among objects, garments, and space.

• Risk-taking & instinct: She has spoken about taking risks, failing, and following one’s instincts as central to creativity.

• Conceptual thinking: Rowley claims to approach design from a conceptual standpoint, not merely in terms of trend or commerce.

• Curiosity & exploration: She often cites travel, art, and unexpected experiences as sources of inspiration and renewal.

• Integration of life and work: Rather than compartmentalizing different roles, she frequently blurs boundaries — letting family, art, business, and design inform one another.

Memorable Quotes by Cynthia Rowley

Here are several quotes that reflect her mindset, creative approach, and worldview:

“Be thankful for all successes, lose your ego, take risks, fail fast, and if you don’t absolutely love what you do, run!”

“Art has definitely influenced how I think of design, both as individual items and as a body of work.”

“I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.”

“Everything looks cute when it’s small.”

“I’ve got a theory: if you love your workspace, you’ll love your work a little more.”

“You have to [go outside your comfort zone]. Andy Warhol said ‘say yes to everything’.”

“I think cooking has the same creative process as designing, where you have the ingredients, you have the alchemy part of it, and you have the satisfaction of seeing your creation become a reality.”

Each of these offers insight into how she views art, process, and the intersection of life and creativity.

Lessons from Cynthia Rowley

From her trajectory and philosophy, there are several takeaways:

1. Merge passion with purpose
   Rowley’s career shows how following what you love—even if it seems risky—can lead to meaningful success.

2. Don’t fear failure
   She emphasizes “fail fast” and taking risks, understanding that creativity grows through experimentation.

3. Let art guide design
   Instead of purely commercial thinking, allowing aesthetic values and artful perspectives to inform design can lead to distinctive work.

4. Diversify thoughtfully
   She has moved her brand into adjacent realms (home products, activewear, media) without losing her design identity.

5. Stay curious and restless
   Exploration, travel, and exposure to different domains can continually refresh creative vision.

6. Integrate life and work
   She models a blending of personal, aesthetic, family, and professional life, rather than rigid separation.

Conclusion

Cynthia Rowley’s journey is one of steadfast creativity, evolution, and balancing whimsy with strategy. From her Illinois roots and art school beginnings to building a multi-faceted lifestyle brand, she has remained true to her voice—bold, playful, experimental. Her design legacy reminds us: fashion can be art, business can be poetic, and pursuing your instincts can open pathways to unexpected realms.