CYNTHIA ROWLEY

Art has definitely influenced how I think of design, both as individual items and as a body of work.

I think for love to work you have to be with someone who you want to talk to before going to bed at night.

Everything looks cute when it's small.

I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.

I think that each season we, as an industry, evolve more and more in such a great way, and I'm really excited about it. We're able to put fashion into the hands of the consumer and eyes of the consumer, and I just think that there's no filter anymore; you just put it out there. There's an instant commentary. I think it's so interesting.

My dream was to have a slide bannister so I could slide down and go out the door to work.

Overhearing people's conversations about art - that's always entertaining.

I'm very sensitive to smells.

I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of fantastic people, from royalty to rock stars. I've also been known to be a bit of a daredevil, so I've tried to explore extreme travel and adventure - scuba-diving in an arctic glacier and camping in the Himalayas.

I've taken a lot of risks through the years, but I always followed my instincts and always explored new opportunities. The biggest reward has been having an idea and being able to make it a reality. My passions always lead the way - travel and adventure, fitness, art, and home.

I love hanging out with kids and my husband - I love traveling with them. We can go on the most epic journeys in like five days.

That's my style - to mix a lot of print and pattern and put it all together.

I think cooking has the same creative process as designing, where you have the ingredients, you have the alchemy part of it, and you have the satisfaction of seeing your creation become a reality.

I always think clothing is like a scrapbook: you remember all the good memories and the past times.

We work with Birchbox, and I think that it's kind of exciting. You're getting a gift every month, and it also entices people to be more experimental and to try more things. For busy people like myself, it's really helpful.

It seems like the world's major cities are getting more and more homogenized, so I think it's important to go off-road and find treasures in offbeat destinations.

There's always an excuse to celebrate someone you love.

I wake up like I'm shot out of a cannon.

I really detest brunch. I think it's a waste of a good day. Detest is a little too severe, but I would say I'm not a brunch person.

When I was in art school, I worried that being a painter seemed like it could be an elusive dream, and fashion seemed so much more secure.

I've always wanted to do something in the food and beverage world. Part of my MO is to go into unchartered territory. I enjoy a challenge.

I think it's important to stay curious and see and experience as much as you can, whether it's art, performance, music, travel, or just hanging out and people-watching.

I love the idea that you would wear vintage stuff with new stuff and wear stuff that's 5 years old.

People always ask what my inspiration is, and it's never something that's easily explained.

Doing things outside of the traditional fashion gives me the opportunity to bring a fresh eye to unexpected markets.