Cynthia Rowley (Q2860)
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Cynthia Rowley is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Cynthia Rowley |
Cynthia Rowley is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
designer
design and production team member
Cynthia Rowley loves to have fun. That enthusiasm is visible in her collections, whether it comes across in a ruffle, a kicky pant, or a frock with a funky print. For spring, Rowley brought her clothes to the streets of New York, staging impromptu photo shoots with the city’s many outdoor restaurants as backdrops. For a collection video, she enlisted the local jazz band the East Village All Stars to play and dance alongside the models, who wore pieces like a peasant dress and floral print pants.Rowley noted that her label has been doing well even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. That makes sense: In this new world of working-from-home and Zoom calls, women are looking for pieces that are both casual and polished, something that Rowley has specialized in for several seasons now, elevating sweatshirts with zippers or adding prints. Customers putting those polished casuals in their shopping carts will also like Rowley’s cropped sweatsuit sets and gold embellished sweatshirt dresses.
22 September 2020
Cynthia Rowley knows how to have a good time. The energy was high at her Fall 2020 show at the sterile Spring Studios, thanks to her easy, bright clothes. There were dresses in prints of florals and bunnies, and sweatshirts with multiple zippers (which Rowley called “random” and “unexpected”). The first look was some sort of dress concoction of tulle, reminiscent of billowing smoke, over a pair of floral pants. The third look was a short, kicky dress printed with groovy florals, which felt fresh. There was also a sassy full black snowsuit covered in whitePlayboy-looking bunnies. While the tulle pieces may not have hit home—those did feel random—the clothes were fun, especially the sweatshirts. They were sliced and diced up the arms and at the sides with zippers, giving the option of flared sleeves and waists. One particularly cool iteration was an elongated version worn as a dress with satin affixed to the hood.What brought the clothes to life were the models. Surely none of them were even born during the heyday of supermodels in the early to mid-’90s, but they certainly walked like them. The great part about these girls was that they randomly sat in the audience among showgoers and would get up from their seats to walk the runway. (Rowley said that one audience member thought the model next to them was a vlogger at first.) A few editors and I joked that maybe we should get up and walk the runway too. I can’t say I would have fit in with the models, not because I’m not six feet tall or 19, but because my clothes were definitely not as cute as Rowley’s.
12 February 2020
Today, a bird pooped on me during the Cynthia Rowley show. (At first I thought it was a stray droplet from an air conditioner, but no.) This felt like one of those ironic, existential moments. Fashion Week is the most well-heeled time of the year and I was sitting befouled (or befowled) on one of the most beautiful streets in New York, a section of Tribeca’s Jay Street that has an old-timey overpass above it. (Rowley’s team moved there a few months ago and call it one of the most Instagrammable spots in the city.) Birds aside, outdoor shows have a lot to be said for them: no tyrannical air conditioning, and it’s fun to see the passersby curiously watching what is going on. In this case, there was so much commotion that onlookers were hanging off fire escapes to see what was happening street level.So what was going on? Rowley made the runway from a long carpet comprised of illustrations from Doctor Seuss’sOh, The Places You’ll Go. (She had acquired the rights from the estate.) Down the carpet-runway floated a boho black peasant dress with groovy pastel florals. (Pretty!) A low-slung silk pant in a sweatpant silhouette that was swirled with chocolate brown, bronze, white, and pink added a needed masculine factor to the femme-forward collection. At times the florals felt too heavy-handed, as when printed all-over on an oversized boxy jacket, but the macramé technique using trippy florals was, well, groovy. Rowley later noted that she’ll be traveling to various international cities to show this collection, hence the Seuss reference.Fun fact: While trying to remove bird poop from myself, I asked my seatmate, a fellow journalist, for help. She mentioned that funnily enough, back in 2016, when Blake Lively attended the Cannes Film Festival wearing a pert leaf-print Cynthia Rowley dress, a bird pooped on her, too. What are the odds? Post-show, Rowley told me it means good luck. Coincidences aside, my seatmate also mentioned that Rowley has started making surfwear completely out of sustainable materials. “Think about all of the microplastics in the ocean!” she said. Rowley later confirmed this: she is substituting petrochemicals with limestone and recycled materials. The designer’s choice is a necessary one given the crumbling state of the environment. Rowley makes a wickedly stellar wetsuit and half of her clients wear her colorful rash guards as actual shirts.
One wetsuit on this runway was sliced in half down the middle; one side a robin’s-egg blue and the other a light mocha. It had an effortlessly cool retro feel, and was enough to make even a non-surfer want to grab a surfboard and hit the waves.
10 September 2019
Cynthia Rowley’s clothes are fun. They are not made to break new ground, but rather create an air of easygoing happiness. There is a print. There is a ruffle. There is a scallop here and there. This season, Rowley injected some magic into that ethos, shooting her lookbook in Central Park at the carousel, an uplifting choice. There were plenty of her signature print dresses, but the standout looks were the embroidered pieces, like a wide-sleeved short black frock with charming pink embroidery at the neck. A hot-item alert were the skinny jeans with a funky tropics-on-acid print.The important tried-and-true garments from the label are the rash guards and swimsuits, which stem from Rowley’s love for surfing but are popular well beyond ocean lovers. The pieces, which often give coverage on the arms, cater to a whole population of modest dressers. Rowley recently found this out when she was asked to create a customized burkini—now buyable—for Muslim model Halima Aden in the 2019Sports IllustratedSwimsuit issue. This season, modest dressers, avid surfers, and people who just want to cover up on the beach will be impressed with Rowley’s selection: She created a superchic, very groovy “wave camouflage” print bodysuit that allows the bather to blend into the ocean, achieving a sartorial swim fantasy for all.
22 June 2019
Cynthia Rowley had long sworn off runway shows until today, when she opted to present her collection at the London Terrace Towers. Rowley, who has always expressed her avid love for surfing and her wet suits, used the apartment building pool—a little less than half-Olympic in size, apparently—to show her collection.While the clothes weren’t necessarily breaking new ground, they had a retro energy that was fitting for Rowley’s reintroduction to the runway. The silhouettes were rooted in the ’70s. One standout was a silk crimson wrap dress with peasant sleeves and a blush pink oversize bow attached at the waist. More megawatt pieces included a pair of fully sequined cropped purple flares and a skimpy black dress with a ruffled hem. Knitwear in the mix was a welcome touch: One black sweater spliced with lime green lines had slouchy sleeves for a dose of insouciance.Though many of the clothes seemed fit for hotter climates, something that Rowley noted by saying “the sun is always setting or rising somewhere,” there were some great puffer coats, including one covered in a head-turning watercolor print. Also, Rowley debuted her own shoes, including charming heeled sandals with floral prints and bows on the toe strap. Not pictured were the 12 models in soft pastel wet suits who jumped into the pool—kicky boots and all—for a fun, final walk.
12 February 2019
Cynthia Rowley has always enjoyed being active. She said that the weekend before her presentation she’d rushed from the city to Montauk to go surfing (it’s an activity she has a well known love for). This season, she emphasized leading an athletic lifestyle in a collection that hit on her signature pretty-yet-tough aesthetic. For the presentation, Rowley held an open casting call for female roller skaters to perform in the clothing. The collection, like the format, was lively. Women of various different body types, ages, and races stepped out—well, rolled out—in the looks. There were some of the expected dresses that didn’t break new ground but were still cheerful, like a tiny baby doll number that was patch-worked with bandana-type floral prints. Also in the mix was a short slinky black slip that could have worked as lingerie. Rowley’s more boyish pieces, such as the oversize shirts based on Cuban guayaberas and camp shirts, were hits. They came in midnight blue and various blown-up floral prints. The best version exemplified Rowley’s tough-pretty angle; it was a boxy red button-up that was delicately embroidered with white flowers and paired with lawn green gingham flares.Still, what Rowley does best are her surf and swim pieces. Most of her customers have been using her rash guards as shirts or bodysuits post-summer. This time, lightweight neoprene came as a super sexy zip-up mini tube dress that Rowley deemed “indestructible.” It’s machine washable and air-dries fast—a win-win for going-out dressing.While this collection was fun and embraced real women enjoying themselves, Rowley followed the standard model format for her lookbook. She could have benefited from using the good-vibes skaters at her presentation today instead. After all, they looked stellar while breaking a sweat and putting the kicky, lace-trim cycling shorts to work.
11 September 2018
While Cynthia Rowley is a longtime New York designer, she hails from the small town of Barrington, Illinois. (Population: a little over 10,000.) Rowley hasn’t forgotten her roots and, in fact, has some hometown pride, too: She threw the opening pitch at a Chicago Cubs baseball game in 2015 and has held talks and pop-ups in Barrington. This season, she used her town as a destination to shoot her lookbook, which was styled by her daughter Kit Keenan. Here, Rowley’s New York–minded looks contrasted with suburban living, which, at times, was entertaining and allowed her clothes to stand out, like a bright wide-sleeved red dress juxtaposed against a quaint brick home. Some of the clothes sweetly recollected Rowley’s childhood, like a stretchy plaid T-shirt dress similar to one she wore growing up. The pattern also turned up on a pair of slightly flared trousers that nicely lengthened the body.It wasn’t all straitlaced, though. Rowley has a bit of a rebel streak, which translates into her clothes. She did a great cowboy shirt with a glittering embroidery of train tracks, her smoke break stomping grounds when she was a teenager. Of course, there was no shortage of Rowley’s signature swimwear, a market that the designer has built much of her business on. She showed off some color-block one-pieces and highlighter hue rash guards that boasted a super-sexy ’80s high cut. Maybe they weren’t appropriate for family day at the suburban pool, but they were certainly head-turners.
8 June 2018
Cynthia Rowley is launching a men’s wet suit line and has been opening up several semipermanent stores across the country. For Fall, she opted out of a traditional show (or presentation) for one-on-one appointments. Show or not, she knows what sells: her tried-and-true wet suits and pretty dresses. Naturally, she continued on that path. There were several great neoprene wet suits here, this time boasting a dainty floral print or surfer lingo likerad. As for those pretty dresses, while there were some that seemed a bit fussy, such as a sparkly threaded number with an elastic bust, a fresh rendition came in white dress lily-of-the-valley print.Elsewhere, she made great use of taffeta. The elegant fabric was transformed into an on-the-go empire-waist maxi skirt with a super high slit. As a sort of quick change or après-surf staple, it was easy, clever, and even a bit glamorous. (One could pair it with one of Rowley’s eye-catching swimsuits, as she recommended.) A wild card hit were the Manhattan Portage messenger bags. Rowley collaborated with the brand, elevating the utilitarian basic in sheeny fabric and hues like highlighter orange and mustard yellow. Of course, there was one patchworked out of colorful slices of neoprene. Quite a fun twist on a Cynthia Rowley best seller.
15 February 2018
Cynthia Rowley is a big fan of quirk. Her clothes typically give off a whimsy-filled vibe, mainly through the vibrant hues and kaleidoscopic prints that have become her signature design elements. This season, she took that idea of eccentricity and juxtaposed it against the work of her current favorite artist Misha Kahn.A rising star with a talent for turning found garbage into sculptures befit for a contemporary version ofPee-wee’s Playhouse, Kahn recently celebrated his first show at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery. This is where Rowley photographed her Pre-Fall collection, a lineup of purposefully wrinkled taffeta dresses and skirts, painterly floral motif lamé trousers, and outerwear that included a cropped bright green jacket and a zebra-printed coat. The best and most wearable pieces by far were among the taffeta group, made especially desirable by the fact that they can be scrunched up in a drawer, closet, or suitcase and worn without any steaming. Like Kahn’s work, these looks by Rowley were beautiful because of their imperfections.
11 January 2018
Count Cynthia Rowley never wants the vacation to end. (And really, who does?) This season the designer wanted to extend her idea of the quintessential jaunt. For her, this includes surfing. “I was thinking about swimwear and wearing it in the city,” said Rowley. “Sort of how to extend your escapist fantasy, your weekend, and your adventures.” Here, there were plenty of those wetsuit silhouettes, seen in pieces such as a short, dusty-pink silk dress that hugged the body and was dotted with ruffles. (It may have been able to pass as a turn-of-the-century swimsuit, too.) Though there were plenty of literal swimwear-style pieces—such as the bandeau tops—there was a bit of fantasy woven in. A beautiful, iridescent scale-like skirt was reminiscent of a mermaid tail and popped in yellow, turquoise, and lavender hues. (It was paired with a black sweatshirt boasting Gucci-style script, which was a bit distracting.) An unexpected standout was the sheeny shorts—an inspiration from basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s uniform—that came in a super tiny Daisy Duke version as well as a belted and high-waisted iteration for an elevated feel.But back to the swimwear. The concept of swimsuits being worn in the city is not so far flung. Waist-cinching rash guards now come in chic styles, while only a few months ago a Vogue.com writer test-drovewearing a bathing suit in the city. Rowley doesn’t seem so far off in her beach-to-street philosophy. Take the cool, mock-neck peach bodysuit with a ’40s swim silhouette: It would have looked quite nice on fellow surfer, model Carolyn Murphy, who was in attendance. Maybe Rowley’s idea of “surf-leisure” is the next big thing.
13 September 2017
Cynthia Rowley loves a weekend getaway. In fact, she fancies a quick jaunt so much that she’s willing to take one all the way to Europe. The designer has just gotten back from a tiny beach town in Portugal where she surfed and hung out on tourist-free beaches for three short days. She says that taking a long trip stresses her out, and she doesn’t like to lug a big, heavy suitcase around. These travel preferences were what sparked Rowley’s new Resort collection, which is filled with easy, packable pieces and plenty of covetable swimwear. While there didn’t seem to be a solid through line in terms of aesthetic references, Rowley did well in mixing looks for day and night, specifically with the pretty little ruffled wrap dresses that could easily go from the surf to the bar and back. Also, the prints and embroideries were nice, especially those stitched onto the one-piece swimsuits that she smartly showed worn over T-shirts and layered under sporty stretch knit dresses. A printed skirt-and-sweatshirt combo was also cool, as was a hot pink printed mini that came equipped with chic, floatie-like balloon sleeves.The Resort lineup was photographed somewhere much closer to home than Portugal but exotic all the same—the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden in Staten Island. The garden landscape fit the vibe of the clothes and proved that, no matter where, a weekend away is an enjoyable one so long as you embrace your surroundings, make the most of the time you have, and of course, bring the right outfits.
22 June 2017
You get the sense it’s always playtime chez Cynthia Rowley. In her West Village HQ today, just behind a gold-painted door à laAlice in Wonderland, she delighted in showing each lively, colorful new look for Fall, from tomboyish pants with square pockets to snazzier cocktail attire with metallic frills. No festive detail went undiscussed: sparkly sport jerseys, a fuzzy angora sweatshirt with a Doritos triangle at the neck, a tropical print with little tigers and parrots, a tweed jacket with fringe zigzags across the front and a thorny rose embroidered right on the bum, and, she touted, “every girl’s favorite striped tee, but sequined.”And yet, a pithy theme for this eclectic collection did not immediately come to mind. “It’s just all the random, crazy things that pop into my head,” she offered quizzically. Yes, that works. Next topic for the indefatigable designer: the expansion of her home and fitness lines, set to launch in April (think rugs and ankle weights, and that’s just the beginning). Oh, and next month she’s been invited to stage a runway show in China, a friendly gesture to her customers there. Somehow, between munching on éclairs and talking halftime shows, we even found ourselves trading classic Joan Crawford quotes. Did I mention it’s always playtime chez Cynthia Rowley?But perhaps what she delights in most these days are her collection videos, which she’s been doing for several seasons. (The first, called “Shredding in Heels,” was essentially drone footage of girls who surf—as Rowley and her daughters do—and who excel at it, thank you very much.) The artist Lucien Smith—an associate of Rowley’s gallerist husband—shot the latest, to be debuted Sunday with a party. Penetrating the shroud of secrecy proved futile, except that the model Lili Sumner features as a kind of daredevil. And there is a giant purple satin bow, to help frame the lookbook pics.For all of Rowley’s lighthearted attitude, a trace of seriousness did creep into this collection, chiefly in a workwear collaboration with the Tennessee-based heritage brand L. C. King, yielding several made-in-America denim jeans and jackets. And there was a unisex sweatshirt blending the words California and New York—“two sanctuary states,” she noted. Aside from her collections, Rowley is a staunch supporter of numerous charities and causes, particularly those protecting the young and vulnerable. Most recently she designed a T-shirt to benefit Everytown for Gun Safety.
“So many people are coming to me with projects, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. They’re more important than ever.”
9 February 2017
Cynthia Rowleywas searching for a word, the right word, to describe her Spring collection. The presentation-cum-party in her West Village HQ had started and the friends and fans amassing out front were beginning to filter in, many of them politely tugging at her. But she had to think of this word. “Pillow fight?” someone offered, referring to the small—too small, thought Rowley—cloud of white feathers drifting down on models who frolicked about a stage piled with empty duvet covers. No, not what she was looking for. Then, while flitting about, hunting down an assistant to turn up the feather blower, it came to her. “Dreamy!” she gasped. It’s an apt descriptor. Watching the fantasy feather party, which Rowley envisioned as the inside of a snow globe, the screwball ’60s sitcom ”I Dream of Jeannie” came to mind. Which is to say, fun-spirited, zany, a little retro, and just the right amount of outré. Girlish, but not girly.From among the dancing models, Rowley pointed out silky pajama styles, a lamé satin number, an updated kimono dress, lightweight brocades, and assorted shiny prints, particularly one with floating signs of the zodiac. Even nightgowns with bell sleeves felt fresh and young. “Also lots of embroidery and lots of lace,” said Rowley, hitting her conversational stride now that someone had fixed that darned feather blower. All of which was worn with “tons” of jewelry, the playful type—big bracelets and earrings—as well as sunglasses and bags.Rowley, who few would dispute invented practical cocktail attire, also stressed the adaptability of these twenty looks, her Spring favorites. Not a bad idea, considering she designs a multitude of lines encompassing apparel, accessories, and beyond. An avid surfer, she recalled swimsuit-clad beach girls who’d merely hop into a skirt for the evening. “So it’s a casual, relaxed mix,” she explained. “Because, ultimately, I just want to be super comfy all the time.”
10 September 2016
“I feel like Resort is my thing, it’s my season,” saidCynthia Rowleyat her new studio in the West Village, where racks upon racks of her Resort collection hung. Based on her diverse, lively, and on-trend offering, we can’t really argue with her. The 32 looks in Rowley’s lookbook—and the some-hundred more that hung in her showroom—marked one of her strongest outings in recent memory, a succinct synthesis of the eclectic, fun-loving spirit that’s been at the heart of the Cynthia Rowley brand since its birth.It helps, of course, that fashion has swung back in Rowley’s favor. Other, larger design houses have adopted eccentricity as law of late, churning out ruffled maxi-dresses, mixed-print separates, and embroidered suiting en masse—all of which appear in Rowley’s collection. And even if it took the swinging of the fashion pendulum to get Rowley’s personality back at the fore, her lineup of punchy numbers is welcome in the market. At a contemporary price point, these are the quirky pieces you'll actually see real girls wearing.The designer spoke about the new collection as a sort of “on the road” journey through the cultures and motifs she loves. Rowley recently returned from Australia, where she showed a preview of her Resort collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. There, her scuba swimsuits and their new, matching surfboards were the heroes of the show. Today, a jade-hued chinoiserie miniskirt with pink embroideries worn with a charmeuse front sweatshirt was among the stars of the collection. Elsewhere, Western shirting was paired with whimsical, tiered miniskirts in garden-variety florals. Bohemian dresses came in New York City’s staple hue, black, while suiting was given a peppy update in electric blue with white, musical note embroideries. The best of the lot was a cropped black jacket with neon patterns, made from a custom fabric by iconic Parisian mill Malhia Kent. It tops off a phantasmagoria of floral prints in the lookbook, but a modern girl might just throw it over jeans and a tee. It looked easy and fun.
14 June 2016
AtCynthia Rowley, it’s never about one line. It’s about her numerous lines, each with its own personality, all working in tandem to create a unified sense of dynamism and mirth. So while her main collection is slightly smaller for Fall, there are going to be more of them throughout the year. This is in keeping with all the consumer-facing chatter that seems to dominate every discussion right now. Plus, Rowley has always looked for ways to narrow the retail gap, and to generally add pep to the step of that lovable yet slow-moving behemoth known as fashion.Breezy and buoyant was, therefore, the name of the game for Fall. Rowley experimented with unbelievably light brocades; looked-at-the-sun optical patterns; black velvet with track striping; some crocheted pieces; a great reversible bomber (cheery and floral on one side, solid and somber on the other); and metallic leather appliqués which, she said, can’t easily be copied. For extra intrigue, she added to the mix what she affectionately called a “drug rug,” aka Baja jacket, that baggy hooded poncho that surfers discovered on surfing trips to the Mexican peninsula and brought back with them. Of course Rowley’s are trim and stylish and,ahem, come with branded rolling papers.Surfing is a theme that Rowley, an avid wave-rider, returns to again and again. In fact she has a whole line of color-blocked and surf-ready wetsuits. As soon as Fashion Week is done, she said, she’ll be taking her brood on a surfing expedition to Cuba. While there, she’ll pass out surfboards to the local kids to drum up interest in the sport. Seems it’s a surf party wherever Rowley goes.
18 February 2016
Perennially sunny,Cynthia Rowleywas feeling especially so today in the airy, white-walled expanse of her new West Village headquarters, for intense planning on multiple fronts had come to fruition. The surf-inspired video showcasing her Spring collection was in the can, as they say; her Rowley Fitness line—loaded with wetsuits—had arrived; her new furniture line was on the way; and a home fragrance was in the works. But most painstaking of all had been the HQ itself. Bought a year ago and exhaustively renovated (“It looked like the water-logged insides of the Titanic,” quipped the designer), it was also finished, or very nearly so, down to the Instagram-friendly gold door painted on the outside. The space will double as a kind of community center, she said, with yoga classes and everything.But if Rowley seemed exhausted (she didn’t), she was only feigning it. She is forever looking and moving forward. Her Spring collection exemplified this willful cheer, with its splashes of sequins in floral patterns, bursts of metallic tinsel trim, tufts of fluttery shredded chiffon, comfy knits, bold twill appliqués, and studs the size of saucers. A colorful, ’60s-style worldliness prevailed. Shapes were roomy and breezy —think caftans, jumpsuits, A-lines, and mini kimonos, all sashed liberally. Accessories, too, were shiny and happy, in particular, cat-eye sunglasses and a large beaded necklace that looked straight out of a Frida Kahlo self-portrait. Now there was a woman with cheerful resilience.Rowley is an avid surfer as are her daughters, hence the wave-riding theme of the video, which will debut tonight in an immersive installation that, thanks to drone technology, all but plops the viewer beachside. It was touch-and-go, though. As a storm moved in the day of the shoot, Rowley sprang into action and got the cast and crew out to Montauk earlier than planned—a triumph of logistical will, to be sure. “What can I say?” she chirped. "I’m a pathological optimist.”
16 September 2015
It's a wonderful surprise to roll up to a collection appointment and enter the doors of the Grand Prospect Hall, an artfully tacky event space in the depths of Park Slope, Brooklyn. (You might know it fromThe Royal Tenenbaumsor the regionally famous "We Make Your Dreams Come True!" television commercial.) Cynthia Rowley, who loves shooting her lookbooks in unexpected places, was having fun exploring the rooms filled with stacks of metal serving plates or cluttered with props and weird taxidermy, the pastel frescos on the ceilings, and the walls framed with elaborate moldings.The Grand Prospect Hall was an adventure for the designer and her crew, but its very particular patina also happened to nicely complement Resort. Rowley shot the model—standing at the top of those famously ornate stairs—in a dizzying number of prints. "It was the idea of all these different elements mixed together," Rowley said. "A marriage of the environment and the clothes, and you can't tell which is inspiring which."The season offered a good amalgamation of Rowley's aesthetic as it stands now. Lush, shiny brocades were done up as patchworked dresses or crop tops; cropped kick flares were perforated with a graphic motif; and a fluorescent patchworked tweed—sourced from famed Parisian mill Malhia Kent—got the drug-rug treatment. Silhouettes remained in Rowley's comfort zone: Late-'60s, early-'70s A-line shifts and peasant blouses ruled, but with occasional sporty touches so as not to feel too costumey. "Mixing things you would never mix," was the name of the game, Rowley said, and it proved to be just the right amount of chaos.
12 June 2015
In lieu of a traditional presentation or runway show, Cynthia Rowley decided to make avideo to show off her Fall 2015 waresthat went live on her website at 2 p.m. on Friday. (For those who wanted to congratulate her in person, the designer hosted a party that same evening at her Manhattan town house.) Why the changeup? "The whole thing is about trying to reinvent how we show the collection," she said at the shoot, which took place earlier in the week. "It's more efficient."For the Trevor Undi-directed video, Rowley brought in wind and smoke machines to play up the light, floaty feeling of the clothes, which layered one lightweight fabric over another. A sheer lavender turtleneck, for instance, was worn under a sheer black long-sleeve T-shirt, which was in turn worn under a daisy brocade shift dress. Rowley also played with sparkle and shine: paillette-covered neckerchiefs, brocade trousers, and sequin flower embroidery on tops and skirts. (They were playingThrillerat the shoot, so she was certainly thinking about Michael Jackson's sequined glove, too.) While skirt lengths and silhouettes varied—from a to-the-floor peasant dress decorated with pink metallic polka dots to a knee-length strapless prom dress in a patchwork brocade—it was all nicely pulled together by rich purples and blues.The collection certainly had a distinctive look that took cues from the late 1960s and early '70s, though Rowley didn't feel beholden to a certain style or era. "Nobody dresses like that anymore," she said, referring to the fact that shoppers no longer want trends dictated to them. From the concept to the clothes, this season was all about the democratization of fashion.
13 February 2015
Cynthia Rowley has been doing the modish-sportif thing for years. But this season she decided to break out her running pants and rash guards into a full-blown fitness category. At her Tuesday presentation the designer separated the activewear looks from the ready-to-wear, rather than mixing them together as she has in the past. "It's about making fitness pretty instead of making pretty sporty," she said of the line, which includes a fetching metallic bike helmet, black leggings with "Cynthia Rowley" scrolled up the side in gold, and a pair of scalloped running shorts.That's not to say Rowley's main line had lost all its athletic prowess; red and white racing stripes flanked a pair of black floor-skimming trousers, for example. But this season was very much about print. Blown-up '60s florals were splayed on trapeze dresses, while a swingy top was done in jumbo lace. A digital "wrinkled fabric" print—which showed up on dresses, tops, and a cashmere sweater—served as a slightly subversive take on trompe l'oeil. (It offered texture without forgoing polish, Rowley said.)A big silhouette this season was cropped kick flares, which would work as well with a pair of athletic slides as they did with Rowley's high-heel mules. Indeed, it was obvious that, although they may now be separate, the two lines go very much hand in hand.
9 September 2014
Cynthia Rowley has been making rash guards and wet suits for some time now, but she took the concept to a whole new level for Resort, adding workout-wear to the mix. "It's functional fitness gear," said the designer of the new range, which is fashioned out of a bonded fabric, developed in-house, that feels lighter and more luxurious than neoprene.Rowley's hope is that her customer will wear these sporty separates—floral leggings with a hidden back pouch for your keys, a printed rash guard piped with silver, a wet suit printed with racing stripes—for surfing, running, or SoulCycling, and then pair them with real clothes on other occasions. For the lookbook, which was shot in a gym, Rowley styled the activewear with pretty, embellished pieces. A fitted dress, for instance, was worn over a rash guard. A digital-print floral sweatshirt and matching leggings were paired with a feather skirt. White flares went with a floral rash guard that was topped off with an embellished vest. Rowley even designed little 1-pound wrist weights that looked like chunky leather bracelets. There was something of the 1970s about it all, but the high-tech ideas buffered the retro leanings.Lots of designers are currently attempting to turn activewear into fashion. But Rowley, with her metallic racing-stripe leggings and floral sneakers, may be at the forefront. "All the lines are blurred," she said. And if this collection was meant to help blur them even further, she's on the right path.
10 June 2014
Cynthia Rowley has wanted to stage a presentation at the Diamond Horseshoe for a couple of years now, but the $20 million, surrealist renovation of the legendary nightclub—which hosted Andy Warhol's wake nearly thirty years ago but little since—only came to fruition late last year. (It's currently the home ofQueen of the Night, an interactive theater production in the vein ofSleep No More.)It all happened just in time for Fall 2014; "I absolutely love the artistry," Rowley said while shooting her lookbook in the space several days before the show. The designer made good use of the space the night of the presentation too. As guests walked down the still-dilapidated staircase (although now the look is intentional), models standing in glass boxes greeted them. After entering the main area and passing the laboratory-like cocktail bar, more models awaited, standing against antiqued metal screens. On the stage, a collection video—featuring a trained knife thrower—was projected.Rowley put quite the effort into the scene, and the clothes were thoughtful too. A colorful series with an early-seventies vibe—insert Rainbow Brite reference here—was all about turtlenecks, from the red dress with a flippy skirt that was topped with a pale blue parka to the bonded piqué knit in navy. Colorful appliqués were another big idea, either placed on the hips of a golden-hued skirt or scattered around a black bateau-neck dress."I feel like it's good to have one completely polarizing piece," Rowley said of the rainbow-striped racerback shift covered in a junk drawer full of doodads, from a pair of sunglasses to house keys and a blue ribbon. An ode to Leo Sewell's trash sculptures, it played to the youthfulness of the collection and also to Rowley's desire to keep fashion from taking itself too seriously.
5 February 2014
The first thing you noticed about Cynthia Rowley's Spring presentation was the streamers. There were mounds of them in different colors and textures piled upon the chandeliers, layered in a makeshift fashion that screamed "DIY project." The showing took place in a former seminary that is now the Desmond Tutu Center, so the decor was a cheery contrast to the gothic surroundings. "I wanted it to look like my girls came and decorated it themselves," explained Rowley right after welcoming her friend actor Alan Cumming. (Rowley's got a lot of friends, and every single one of them seemed to be there.) "It's a celebration," she said.The collection, too, was a celebration of sorts, trumpeting the designer's sporty-meets-artsy roots. A single lipstick-red tulip appliqué was placed on the hip of a white silk-cotton ball gown with a halter neckline, and wetsuits were printed with digital floral motifs. A vignette of skirts and tops in black, white, and blush pink were embroidered with Swedish-looking designs, adding to the arts-and-crafts feel of the clothes.There may have been too many looks—a navy silk-cotton bateau-neck cocktail dress was more appropriate for fall, and a pale pink frock with a massive bow at the neckline was just out of place. But overall, it was one of the stronger collections Rowley has presented in the past few years. She should show her roots more.
8 September 2013
Cynthia Rowley was in the zone at a Resort shoot in her sprawling West Village town house, flipping through the racks, directing her photographer, and briskly signing off on the stylist's out-there, bejeweled turban head wraps (not to mention giving her young daughter a lesson on the difference between a prime avocado and a not-so-ripe one). In between looks, the designer described her fascination with Instagram, waxing poetic about traveling vicariously through her fabulous friends' feeds. Her slightly mad new Resort collection aptly captured her upbeat, eclectic mood.All together, it was a lot to take in, but pulled apart, each individual piece had plenty of hanger appeal—particularly the pro-grade rash guards that have been a consistent best seller for the brand. They were updated here in a nautical motif as well as a broken "madras" print. "It's getting so there are no boundaries between swim and ready-to-wear," Rowley said. Other memorable moments included head-to-toe patterned looks (in a digital fan image or micro plaid) with matching shrunken jackets, A-line frocks, and slim cropped trousers, as well as a sequined shell paired with cool, ultra-embellished boyfriend jeans.
13 June 2013
The air at Cynthia Rowley's Fall presentation smelled of cotton candy, just one of the confections served Sunday night in her brand-new Upper East Side store. Attendees were encouraged to stock up on licorice and Sour Patch Kids from the pick-n-mix, a part of CuRious, Rowley's new line of sweeties and party decor that lives on the second floor of her shop.The clothes were sugarcoated too, at least in concept. A swirling digital print mimicked candy ribbons, and cabochons attached to sheer tights were akin to candy button strips. Watermelon and chartreuse-colored knits brightened up an otherwise dark palette.Mother-of-pearl—which itself has a marbled, candylike appearance—was the starting point for Rowley, who worked with stylist Vanessa Traina to give the models a Helmut Newton-inspired look. "Fall is more serious to me," the designer said while greeting guest after guest, including the artist Richard Phillips.If the two ideas—candy-pop, dark and downtown—don't sound like they'd mesh, that's because they didn't entirely. Some looks were out of place, including a seventies-style floral ruffle coat. What did bring the concepts together was a "New York Fucking City" T-shirt with colorful badges covering the offensive language. The rainbow-colored woven wallet chains were cool, too. They looked tough—but delicious.
9 February 2013
Cynthia Rowley sure knows the meaning of a last hurrah. Slated to present her Spring collection at 5 p.m. on the final day of New York fashion week, the designer found herself in a tough spot. Editors have already seen eight days' worth of shows, and some are already on flights to London for the next round. But Rowley's installation overcame the odds. Thirty-two looks were on display at an old hotel on Beekman Street, the same buzzed-about venue where Proenza Schouler showed the night before. The walls are peeling and the foundation has come undone (to say the least), and yet Rowley envisioned the models having a party at the abandoned space. There was confetti all over the floor and the girls wore gold bangles that doubled as flasks. Clever.The clothes were equally creative. A camo brocade bomber jacket and matching shorts were foiled to create a metallic effect. Brocade showed up elsewhere, on pointy open-toe shoes and turquoise-enameled swim trunks that were topped with a mother-of-pearl wetsuit jacket. Neoprene has become a signature fabric for Rowley, an avid surfer. Oversize dresses and wide-leg pants had unique prints, from a fun confetti pattern to a blown-up paisley design. But the true life-of-the-party look was a purple halter dress whose layers of lace were meant to echo the hotel's dilapidated ceiling. That will be the one everyone remembers most.
12 September 2012
Cynthia Rowley is fascinated with movement and making clothes come alive on the body. For Resort '12, the designer brought in Reed + Rader to create a GIF-based lookbook, and she is reprising the animated idea for her new collection; the video will appear on her site later this month. Rowley used Mylar balloons as a jumping-off point for the season and literally integrated them into the new lookbook as talk bubbles floating above the models' heads. You can see the shiny inflatables' influence in the Saran wrap-like sheen of a matching floral jacquard tank and second-skin pants. Ditto goes for the polarized round sunglasses that Rowley wanted to look "like Plexiglas dots stuck on your eyeballs." Exploring dots in both 2-D and 3-D, she featured a bubble print in addition to embellished cabochon gemstones on one memorable dress.But the real high point here was her watercolor-patterned pro-grade wet suit. The designer is a huge surfer and escapes to Montauk on summer weekends to catch some waves, so she knows what works in terms of durable surf gear. She created a similar wet suit for Lindsay Lohan to wear in Richard Phillips' new short filmFirst Point, which debuts later this week at Art Basel. Judging by the convincing product placement, we'd say the neoprene number will be a big hit with sales.
6 June 2012
Car trouble? Cynthia Rowley can help. Coveting the ease of a coverall, the designer looked to mechanics and their workwear for Fall. "I liked that you could put one piece on and have barely anything else and look tough and sexy," she said backstage before her show. That said, Rowley couldn't resist a little bit of layering—or a smattering of embellishments.Sleek turtlenecks were slipped under almost everything; they provided a clean finishing touch and a sweet contrast to the kaleidoscope tortoiseshell prints that were splashed across shirtdresses. A few of the turtlenecks boasted bejeweled necks, courtesy of the Dannijo girls, and a cozy, oversize black sweatshirt was dotted with clusters of baubles. A denim dress in a dark, subtle plaid looked smart under a matching engineer's coat lined in shearling. Sure, it was two pieces, but it married a garage worker's pragmatism with a fashionista's spirit.
8 February 2012
Cynthia Rowley loved how her Reed + Rader-directed video lookbook for Resort turned out, so she tried to bring some of those animated elements to her Spring collection. The designer achieved this kind of desired movement with sporty separates like bonded leggings in a distorted floral print (see: Kate King's opening look) and perforated mesh leather T-shirts. Metallic zigzag patterns and shimmering gold sequin appliqué details also came to life on the mirrored runway (Rowley spoke about "the optical energy of gold" backstage before the show). Most of the best looks here combined athletic elements with feminine silhouettes. Hourglass party dresses with swishy horsehair circle skirts, for example, were cut from a scuba-y tech fabric and featured sporty stitched bodices. One could imagine both forward-thinking style stars like Alexa Chung, who was sitting front-row today, as well as Rowley's contemporary customer in the finale "forced perspective" frock that was modeled by top newcomer Erjona Ala.
8 September 2011
Fashion is her game, but Cynthia Rowley is an art circuit regular, often with her gallery owner hubby, Bill Powers, at her side. So it's not much of a surprise that she looked to abstract artist-of-the-moment Josh Smith (you can find his work on the cover of the current issue ofArtforumand at the Venice Biennale) for ideas. His life-size painting of a dinosaur currently on display at the Brant Foundation served as the backdrop for her Reed + Rader-produced video lookbook for Resort. In it, models Kat Hessen and Marina Jamieson resemble paper dolls shuffling around in looks that borrow bright hues directly from Smith's dino. A dramatic, cadmium yellow cutaway skirt was paired with a simple silk T-shirt and a "dinosaur tooth" pendant necklace. There were also great poppy-colored silk palazzo pants (no one, it seems, can resist this season's pajama trend). The fun accessories deserve a shout-out—plastic clutch purses gave the impression of giant pill capsules, while sandals came with detachable straps to wind further up the leg. Rowley earns good marks for her creative efforts here.
19 June 2011
For Fall, Cynthia Rowley paired geometric patterns with feminine fabrics for a mix of tough and soft. Cubist-looking faux wrap skirts slit up the front came in a variety of color combinations, and a prism print, long-sleeved silk shift had a 3-D effect. The designer hit on of-the-moment trends with a few dress-over-pants looks, which we're still on the fence about, and slinky, mid-calf dresses cut in sumptuous velvet—the best of which seemed to be delicately disintegrating at the neck and hem. Other key themes here included: loose, billowing silhouettes on romperlike "walking dresses" and sheer gowns, and the frequent use of Lurex on cardigans with black light graphics and slim trousers. Rowley may have gotten a little carried away with the shimmer there, but her sensible customers are sure to appreciate a simple but sophisticated purple crepe wrap dress that shows off just the right amount of leg.
10 February 2011
Peekaboo: Bubble-shaped cutouts offered glimpses of flesh here, there, and everywhere at Cynthia Rowley, giving the collection a decidedly flirty spin. (And that's not even bringing up the so-called "invisible" sweaters.) The runway sets, Rowley noted rapturously backstage, came from New York City Ballet productions ofRomeo and JulietandSwan Lakethat had taken place at Lincoln Center, the tents' new home. Maybe so—but Juliet, for all her wiles, never used tricks like this.The circular perforations and their equal-and-opposites, the cabochon buttons that adorned dresses, skirts, and slinky pants, dominated the show. They lent a pop-y graphic quality to everything they touched, but the effect got a little too insistent. Hitting all the right notes were the silky shirtdresses and shifts, in tension colors like putty and celadon, poppy and mist. The sherbet tones were picked up by layered enamel and gold necklaces in front and large glossy barrettes in back. More sweet than sexy, they played to Rowley's strengths.
10 September 2010
"If you can't bring Muhammad to the mountain…" Cynthia Rowley explained of the decision to pack her Resort collection, a couple of models, and a small staff of cater-waiters onto a bus—a fashion Winnebago, if you will—and take it to editor central, midtown Manhattan, where the girls paraded for the press (and more than a few gawking, photo-snapping passersby). The slightly frenetic setting mirrored the collection. Rowley explored a few different themes: dark denim, appliquéd onto chiffon dresses; metallics, from a layered miniskirt to paisley lounge pants; and prints, mostly geometric or floral. But take it apart and there were winners, like a piecemeal maxi skirt with an asymmetric hemline that was summer-easy (coming off her surf collection with Roxy, Rowley layered it over pink boy-short swim trunks). In general, the clothes were relatively restrained; accessories amped up the volume. There were sweet ankle socks—color-blocked, floral, or dusted with paillettes—shown with chunky heels, and, following on a theme from Resort '10, kitschy-cute necklaces. Last time, it was fishing hooks; this time around, the catch itself: a sort of koi-lobster hybrid that Rowley insisted was a langoustine.
14 June 2010
Other designers may lament the lag time between clothes' debut on a runway and their real-world on-sale date—but Cynthia Rowley actually tackled the issue head-on. Partnering up with the Gagosian Shop, she is offering arty limited-edition duplications of her latest looks: Rowley's team took photos of each garment from the front and back, printed the images onto fabric, and cut them out in the shape of the original. The quick copies were available the night of the show.The "chic monster-girl collection" was how Rowley described Fall, and it was heavy on volume and texture. The volume was delivered in oversize puffer coats, airy skirts with bubble hems, and a patterned silk dress with rows of ruching. Texture was added with an abundance of feather and fringe trim on everything from blouses to cropped jackets."There's already a wait list for these pieces," Rowley said of her faster-fashion solution, the day before, "meaning people are trying to buy versions of Fall '10 before I even show them. How crazy is that?"
11 February 2010
"The idea is something that's both scary and pretty," Cynthia Rowley said of her Spring concept. "Things are out of focus and starting to unravel." The disintegration theme could be seen very clearly in the clothes. There were blurry floral prints, ink patterns that bled down the front of dresses, and slashed-up grosgrain pants. Prim cardigans, bobby socks, and fit-and-flare dresses gave the proceedings a retro feel, too.The Tim Burton-ish fairy-tale music that segued into white noise and the massive drop cloth that plummeted from the ceiling of Gotham Hall to form an impromptu runway didn't seem at all out of place or distracting here: Rowley has always been whimsical. And—since the clothes aren't exactly what you would callnewsy—her entertaining touches did help to make this a more interesting show.
10 September 2009
"In this, the most bourgeois season designers do, I liked the contrast of being really conscious about the materials," Cynthia Rowley said at her Resort presentation. That explains why she embellished dresses and sandals with ditsy floral fabric and yards of mismatched ribbon, leftovers from seasons past. Along similar lines, the designer refashioned newspaper into giant hair bows.An outdoorsy theme prevailed (intarsia sweaters with bright tennis ball patterns, gold fishhook necklaces), though an airbrushed "graffiti party" frock nodded to more urban activities. Set to a backdrop of pal Marilyn Minter's oversize sexually charged paintings at Salon 94 gallery, the effect was at once sweet, kooky, and edgy—in other words, more or less what one has come to expect from Rowley's shows.
10 June 2009
Cynthia Rowley is approaching the recession with a glass-half-full mentality. "This is a time when you have to be more inventive and resourceful," she said before her show. "Potent creativity springs from instability." For Fall, the designer put her focus on accessories—including crystal-encrusted legwear, slouchy leather boots, and carved onyx "wishbone" necklaces—that can be worn to update a woman's existing wardrobe.Believing that shoppers are also in the market for more artisanal wares, Rowley took a craftier approach with the clothing than she has in seasons past. A blouse done up in rows of ribbons, paired with a brocade miniskirt, had an heirloom feel, and a series of sweet silk dresses were patchworked with floral fabrics. While the detailing on some cropped pants felt overly folksy, Rowley's strategy should appeal to her customer come fall.
15 February 2009
Cynthia Rowley has had it with the frenetic pace of fashion. "I love that we show collections so often," she said, "but the addition of new seasons makes it harder to define each one." And so, doing away with seasons altogether, she dubbed her show "Collection One for 2009" and—"because it's just a countdown until the next show"—hung a giant ticking clock as the set's backdrop.Today's event—OK, then, we won't call it "Spring"—was sleek and chic. Almost every piece was a futuristic take on the sheath, in heavy nylon with beaded "armor" appliqué, coated to add patina, or embroidered with mesh overlay. The glossiness carried over into the accessories: There were round, ring-handled Judy Jetson totes stitched from a high-tech material used to make life jackets, and oversize, slightly kooky gold-ball belts and bracelets.This all felt quite new, coming as it did from a designer whose look is typically girlish and unstructured. There were a few misfires (one dress, described as having a "gravity-defying back," just looked like a bad fit), but for the most part the modern lines and details worked very well. Here's hoping Rowley gets a chance to kick back and enjoy her success before she has to head back into the studio again for Collection Two.
10 September 2008
In typically whimsical fashion, Cynthia Rowley greeted guests attending the Resort presentation at her West Village home with a surprise: a gold-lacquer baby grand repurposed as a beer cooler. Out back, things were just as offbeat. Models lounged in Japanese-inspired satin robes and harem pants, tie-dyed dresses, and trompe l'oeil tops with bows. Matching visors doubled as bib necklaces, and crocheted sandals were modeled after nautical rope bracelets. Rowley was quick to play saleswoman for the latter. "When they stretch out, you just wet them and they shrink back again," she explained.
11 June 2008
It started with a bang: the backdrop, a giant book cover, falling open to unleash a three-dimensional illustration of a forest scene. (Rowley, a mother of two, is—at least according to a loud rumor—working on her first children's book.) Here and there, silhouettes of elephants and lions and the like were collaged, pop-up style, onto the clothes—to give the collection the kind of "wink that a kids' book would have," the designer said. That trick was a bit, well, tricky, but there were lots of appealing shirtwaist dresses in dark plum and teal, with tucks and pleats and sheer hems, and oversized let's-play-dress-up outerwear, all worn with fur d'Orsay pumps to add to the fun.
6 February 2008
Cynthia Rowley turned to seventies France for inspiration this Spring, conjuring a sporty but stylish tomboy. Of course, you can't talk about fashion of that particular decade and provenance without mentioning Yves Saint Laurent, and sure enough Rowley did: The second look down her runway was a cream suit with a long, lean jacket swinging open over slouchy trousers, a softer version of Le Smoking. It set the tone for a collection that also included long, narrow, and breezy silk dresses slit to the hip, and some lean fine knits, cinched at the waist and reaching to the knee. For the most part, Rowley mined this vein ofsportifchic effectively, though she would have done well to eliminate some of the clutter. Piles of enamel jewelry in pastel tones and misplaced scarves and belts confused the message and weakened the overall look.
6 September 2007
The usual oddball celebrity mix turned up at Cynthia Rowley: Alan Cumming, Molly Shannon, Russell Simmons, and Tatum O'Neal. But those weren¿t the only stars under the sky-high ceilings at Gotham Hall. Cynthia Rowley was looking heavenward, to the aurora borealis.Starshine and shimmer were ubiquitous, as they were throughout the New York shows. Metallic brocades, glistening sequins, liquid lamé—all were cut into the sixties minidresses and skirts that came to completely dominate the show. (It would have benefited from a good edit.) The few variations in silhouette were the best looks, including slim trousers topped with floaty blouson tops and seventies brimmed hats, and a chic burgundy calf-hair car coat. The quilted satin pieces, on the other hand, fell rather flat.But while Rowley may not be big on construction details or luxury fabrics, one thing can be said of her: She always has her tongue in her cheek. The witty thematic visual cues included a trompe l'oeil flame print, and long braids referencing comet tails, with the models in the final turn clinging to a Rapunzel-length plait worn by the lead girl.
7 February 2007
Cynthia Rowley has always been a good answer for young women in search of affordable party frocks without too much of an edge. With their distinctly American roots, Rowley's designs are reassuringly familiar, but with enough of a twist to keep them fresh.This season Rowley jumped on the ethereal peasant bandwagon, spinning metallic lace and sweet embroidered cotton into looks fit for a Woodstock reveler. While some of the midriff-baring blouses and tight patent belts looked awkward, the bulk of this collection is ideal for Springtime patio cocktail parties from Silverlake to Sag Harbor.The knockout number? A metallic purple lace cocktail dress with a U-shaped neckline, which is bold and rich looking without being flashy.
20 September 2001
With a cast of characters that included a juggler, an accordion player, a mime and an acrobat, Cynthia Rowley injected high-energy fun into New York fashion week at Manhattan's New Victory Theater.Rowley played with cotton-candy party dresses, trompe-l'oeil detailing, outrageous plume wraps, two-toned jester skirts and mismatched stockings to create a veritable vaudeville atmosphere. Not everyone will go for the Pierrot-inspired themes, but Rowley also showed more down-to-earth pieces that included corduroy trousers and coats, merino tees, cable-knit sweaters and moleskin jeans. There were also several great pinstripe pants, jackets with sequined lions embroidered at the shoulder and a couple of sleek takes on classic tuxedos that will work well with the younger set.
11 February 2001
Birds in cages hung in a long line above the runway at Cynthia Rowley as tribute to its birds and bees theme. The show was, however, as much about sex asHappy DaysorGrease. What the audience saw instead was a study in 1950s American sportswear looks, silhouettes and personas.For good girls there were a variety of full-skirted dresses nipped at the waist in both eyelet and honeycomb knit, tops with dainty details like smocking, "bird watching" dresses (some made from a bird print fabric) and boxy granny-style outerwear. Bad girls could take their pick of bomber jackets, hand-painted leather separates and a few scruffy boys also dressed by Rowley. The most successful bad-girl pieces were dolman-sleeved tops and dresses that fell off the shoulder.The show was punctuated throughout with shots of neon: from the models' eye shadow to shoes with neon straps or heels and soles by Zeitgeist for Rowley. It closed with an anomalous series of dresses, many made of fluorescent string.
20 September 2000
It was a fun, fast-paced show at Cynthia Rowley, based on the lives of young, rich and beautiful It girls. Soft, feminine prints acquired a hard edge when cut close to the body and paired with beaded mock-croc tops. Short dresses in optical prints screamed for a night of dancing, while striped leather pants and chiffon tops looked urban and easy-to-wear. A series of brocaded, glittery evening looks provided yet another set of wardrobe options for those hankering for a night out on the town.
8 February 2000
Cynthia Rowley's dancehall-inspired presentation was held at a ballroom in the New Yorker hotel, where a couple did a brief waltz as a prelude to the show. The colorful collection was divided into four categories, each with its own distinctive feel: "Hanky Panky" featured earth-toned and yellow floral-embroidered dresses, painted leather trousers, and cashmere sweaters. "Acapulco Gold" included a crisp selection of white caftans, perforated shirts and dresses, and ribbon wraps. "Snap out of it" consisted of ultrasexy swimsuits and Op-Art-inspired dresses in white, salmon, and blue. The conclusion was "Get Lit," which showcased party dresses with miniature lights under slinky layers of lace.
13 September 1999