These days contemporary art and surfing are Cynthia Rowley’s inspirations and passions, hence her 7 piece capsule collection – $150.00 to $395.00 – sold exclusively at Barney’s New York.
Cynthia, always ahead of the curve (at 7 she constructed her first dress), enrolled in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for painting, but ended up graduating in fashion design. Amazingly, she sold her first full collection while still in school. Rowley moved to the big apple and soon her designs were walking the catwalks at New York Fashion Week. Today her designs, which appeal to a variety of tastes, are spotted on stylish ladies from Julia Roberts to Scarlett Johansson.
One look at the collection, with 6 of the 7 pieces made out of Neopane, and you can easily see the influence her surfing passion played in it. When deciding on prints, the lushness of botanical gardens inspired her. She wanted to make them modern and sporty, so she manipulated the images. As Cynthia explained in her interview in Barney’s blog, The Window, ” We took what were classic, somewhat photo-real botanical bouquets and messed with them—we liquefied a floral, made one forced perspective, and mapped one out with a zigzag pattern.”
The end result, a feminine but sporty look, with classic silhouettes in surf fabric which were then bonded and everything cover-stitched, lastly the delightful floral prints were applied. A feminine look with a sporty edge – something for everyone.
Clockwise from top left: Cynthia Rowley Printed Quarter Sleeve Shirt $225.00, Cynthia Rowley Colorblock Skirt $225.00, Cynthia Rowley Sleeveless Dress $ 395.00, Cynthia Rowley Quarter Sleeve Shirt $195.00, Cynthia Rowley Zig-Zag Legging $225.00, Cynthia Rowley Spectral Tank $150.00.
Curators of Style 