A native of Illinois, Cynthia Rowley constructed her first dress at the age of seven. Her natural technical skill paired with a love of “making things” led her to an undergraduate degree from School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she enrolled as a painter and left a fashion designer. Her first full collection was purchased while she was still in school and gave her the leverage (read: courage) she needed to move to New York and establish her brand. Rowley was later honored by her alma mater to be the 2012 Legend of Fashion Award recipient.

Rowley has been recognized both within the fashion industry, with a CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear and a nomination for the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Menswear, and as a popular style authority on “24 Hour Catwalk”, “Project Runway”, “America’s Next Top Model” and other syndicated shows like “Oprah”, “David Letterman”, “The View” and “The Today Show.” She was named the Designer of the Year at the American Image Awards in 2015 and continues to bring innovative concepts to new categories beyond the realm of fashion.

The CYNTHIA ROWLEY collection includes womenswear, menswear, eyewear, handbags, shoes, legwear, shapewear, wetsuits, swimwear, fitness, furniture, hardware, rugs, Staples office supplies, tech accessories, bridal and beauty. The brand is sold in better department, specialty, and online stores, as well as approximately 60 CYNTHIA ROWLEY retail shops around the world.

Rowley was one of the original Target collaborators in 2003 with a line of home and entertaining related accessories titled Swell, and worked with Johnson & Johnson to create the first set of designer Band-Aid bandages. As an art enthusiast, Rowley has collaborated with artists like Will Cotton, Olaf Breuning, and Ryan McNamara on various ventures and collections, designed a capsule collection for the Gagosian Gallery with Olaf Breuning for MoMA’s PS1 MOVE!, and co-founded the groundbreaking art retail website Exhibition A.

Rowley’s collections have been featured in nearly every major national and international fashion publication, and she maintains a regular celebrity clientele including Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, Parker Posey, Kristen Wiig, Rebecca Romijn, Anne Hathaway, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Zosia Mamet.