Biography
Cynthia Rowley is an American fashion designer based in Manhattan, New York City. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 1988. During her time at SAIC, Rowley was removed from her junior year art show due to her use of wings in her design. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, she revealed that Marshall Field's purchased her first collection while she was still a student.
In 1981, Rowley received an SAIC fellowship award in her senior year, which she used to relocate from Chicago to New York City. She launched her career with $3,000 in seed money from her grandmother. Since debuting her first capsule collection in 1988, her brand has expanded to include women's wear, handbags, eyewear, color cosmetics, fragrances, wetsuits and swimwear, home furnishings, bedding, and office accessories.
Rowley also developed a home accessory line called Swell, inspired by a book series she co-wrote with Ilene Rosenzweig, which launched at Target in 2003. In 2011, she introduced the Mr. Powers collection, a limited menswear line named after her husband, Bill Powers.
Rowley's fashion lines are showcased twice yearly at New York Fashion Week. Signature Cynthia Rowley stores are located in New York City, Chicago, Montauk, Palm Beach, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Newport Beach, along with the brand's online store.
