1. Home
  2. Our Speakers
  3. Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley

NEW EXCLUSIVE
  • Visionary Business Leader
  • Founder of Cynthia Rowley Brand
  • CFDA Award-Winning Fashion Designer
  • Co-Author of Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good LIfe

Add to my speaker list

Cynthia Rowley built a global consumer brand by trusting instinct where others waited for proof. She started as a painter at the Art Institute of Chicago, landed in New York with barely enough money to stay afloat, and turned a creative point of view into a company with real cultural and commercial weight that continues to evolve.

Her label broke through traditional categories, introducing surf-leisure before the market had language for it and moving early into e-commerce to build direct relationships with customers. From cereal boxes to Band-Aids for Johnson & Johnson and Barbies for Mattel, Rowley consistently pushes beyond narrow ideas of what her brand is “allowed” to be. Along the way, Rowley became a bestselling author of the Swell books, dressed celebrities like Julianne Moore, Kim Kardashian, Alan Cumming, and became a familiar face on television, including guest judging on Project Runway and appearances on late-night talk shows.

As a speaker, Rowley explores what it really takes to build and sustain a business without a roadmap. She speaks about judgment under pressure, embracing fear, and pushing boundaries when playing it safe can stall progress. Audiences gain access to the thinking behind a brand that learned how to move early and keep its edge.

 

Cynthia Rowley headshot
Julianne Moore Presents Cynthia Rowley with the CFDA Founder’s Award - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Cynthia Rowley
Expand all >

Building a Business Without a Playbook

Founder CYNTHIA ROWLEY speaks to what it takes to grow a company when there is no clear roadmap. Drawing on decades of operating in public markets, she explores how founders make early calls, adapt as conditions change, and keep momentum without waiting for perfect information. ...

Founder CYNTHIA ROWLEY speaks to what it takes to grow a company when there is no clear roadmap. Drawing on decades of operating in public markets, she explores how founders make early calls, adapt as conditions change, and keep momentum without waiting for perfect information.

Leading With Conviction

Brand leader CYNTHIA ROWLEY speaks candidly about building authority over time and leading with confidence in environments where women are often second-guessed. She shares how conviction is developed through action and why waiting for validation can stall progress. ...

Brand leader CYNTHIA ROWLEY speaks candidly about building authority over time and leading with confidence in environments where women are often second-guessed. She shares how conviction is developed through action and why waiting for validation can stall progress.

Creating Brands That Keep Their Edge

Founder and creative force CYNTHIA ROWLEY takes audiences inside the evolution of her namesake label and what it takes to keep a brand alive over decades. She explains how to stay relevant as culture shifts and how to grow without losing creative momentum. ...

Founder and creative force CYNTHIA ROWLEY takes audiences inside the evolution of her namesake label and what it takes to keep a brand alive over decades. She explains how to stay relevant as culture shifts and how to grow without losing creative momentum.

Why Playing It Safe Is The Real Risk

Designer and entrepreneur CYNTHIA ROWLEY examines how caution slowly drains momentum from teams and brands. She shows why playing it safe often limits creativity, and how taking measured risks creates room for originality to emerge. ...

Designer and entrepreneur CYNTHIA ROWLEY examines how caution slowly drains momentum from teams and brands. She shows why playing it safe often limits creativity, and how taking measured risks creates room for originality to emerge.

Instagram 
(-)
Books by Cynthia Rowley
Swell Holiday: Turning Up the Twinkle

Swell Holiday: Turning Up the Twinkle

The Swell Dressed Party

The Swell Dressed Party

Home Swell Home: Designing Your Dream Pad

Home Swell Home: Designing Your Dream Pad

Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good Life

Swell: A Girl's Guide to the Good Life

(-)
Press & Media
Cynthia Rowley on brand longevity as she hosts her 101st NYFW show - Glossy
The CFDA Prepares to Honor Cynthia Rowley With Its Founder's Award, and Other News - Surface
My Favorite Airbnb Experience: In the Studio with Designer Cynthia Rowley - Conde Nast Traveler
From the Archive: CFDA Honors Cynthia Rowley’s Ongoing Fashion Legacy - WWD
(-)
Ideas for the Meeting Planner
(-)
Biography

Cynthia Rowley began her career in fashion while studying at the Art Institute of Chicago (where she had every intention of becoming a painter). After graduation, she took what little seed money she had and moved to NYC to start her eponymous fashion brand. Whether she's exploring on a far-flung getaway, surfing secret spots in exotic destinations, or scuba-diving in an arctic glacier, it's safe to say the designer is known to take risks. It's this unparalleled sense of adventure that effortlessly translates into the spirit of this brand. The legacy omni channel brand, Cynthia Rowley, is known for its pretty-meets-sporty ethos. The brand continually evolves, creating intergenerational pieces in a wide assortment including RTW, surf & swim, snow, and lifestyle products. Deemed the pioneer of “surf-leisure” by Vogue, the brand exudes a spontaneous spirit and actively redefines the boundaries of fashion, inspiring women everywhere to take risks and live life fearlessly.

Cynthia Rowley has gone on to win numerous accolades, including the CFDA 'Perry Ellis' Award and Designer of the Year at the American Image Awards and most recently has the honor of receiving the founders award (lifetime achievement) from the CFDA this November. She has also received an honorary doctorate from The Art Institute of Chicago, is a bestselling author, and has appeared on numerous television shows. She currently lives in New York City with her two daughters, Kit and Gigi.

More ideas that might interest you:
CEOs & C-Suite
Exclusive to HWA
Fashion & Design
Global Brand Leaders
Innovators & Entrepreneurs
Leadership & Strategic Management
Marketing & Branding
New to HWA
Women Speakers
Women's History Month