Designer Carly Cushnie embodies excellence in business and fashion

Carly Cushnie is a New York-based creative director and fashion designer. Carly is best known for her luxury women’s Ready-to-Wear collection CUSHNIE and the many influential women who have worn her designs, including Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Zendaya, Ava Duvernay, Rihanna, and Ashley Graham.

Carly talks about starting and winding down her business, venturing into interior design, and taking a break from the relentless design cycle.

Follow Carly on Instagram @carlycushnie and find her online at https://www.carlycushnie.com.

About Umindi

Umindi Francis is the CEO and founder of the award-winning global brand consulting firm UFCG. She has led strategy and marketing for some of the world's leading brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, and Bumble. Over the years, she has worked with celebrities and numerous brands, ranging from The New York Times to the United States Institute of Peace, as a business strategy adviser. Umindi has been featured in a number of publications, including Time, New York, and Vogue, and is the recipient of a United States Congressional Recognition for Business Achievement.

Follow Umindi on Instagram @Umindi360 and on Linkedin here and the podcast @whatsnextwithumindi.

Creators & Guests

Host

Umindi Francis

Founder and CEO of UFCG, a global brand consulting firm

What is What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis?

What’s Next Podcast with Umindi Francis is a new podcast that explores perspectives from executives, creatives, and thought leaders at the intersection of business, marketing, and strategy in technology, fashion, entertainment, and more.

Umindi Francis leverages 20 years of business strategy experience and relationships as an entrepreneur, and executive for some of the world’s leading brands, to discuss insights, and the next frontier of business, from the people that move their industries forward. The podcast also highlights their path to success to deeper understand their journey.

Listeners will gain insights into how our guests drive innovation. They will also walk away from each episode encouraged and inspired to tackle their own professional goals in business. As a result of Umindi’s connections, listeners can expect marquee guests each episode.

Carly Cushnie: So much of the time you are running the business whether it's just finances or marketing or dealing with people issues or whatever it is. and so it allowed me to sort of jump into projects that I was interested in doing. And I could be creative and, and have the time to really sort of enjoy it. Whereas like with the fashion schedule, you're just like, okay, be creative right now.

Umindi Francis: This is What's Next Podcast with Umindi Francis. We're talking fashion, business, and what's next. Let's go.

Carly Cushnie is a New York based creative director and fashion designer informing everything she touches from the runway to lifestyle and home with a refined yet eclectic style. Cushnie has established herself as an innovative force in the fashion and design world.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show, my friend Carly Cushnie. Hi, Carly.

Carly Cushnie: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

Umindi Francis: Oh, it's an honor. Thanks for being here. Thanks for being here. So let's get into it. You've had such a phenomenal career. Walk us through your professional journey. Did you always want to be a designer?

Carly Cushnie: I did always want to be a designer. I from, I was a child, I was always sketching dresses and everything I did was sort of geared towards becoming a designer. That's all I thought about. Or I would teach myself how to make things at home. And I had someone teach me how to understand a pattern and cut things out.

And even, so I went to school in the UK and, the exams you take at the end of school are A levels, and during my art A levels that I did, it was all sort of these fashion sculptures that I made. It was all very geared towards this is what I want to do.

Umindi Francis: So what inspired that from childhood?

Carly Cushnie: I'm not sure. I mean my, I guess what inspired it? I think my mother probably was a big inspiration for that. She was not in fashion, but she's someone who loved fashion. She was, not while I was growing up, but previously before I was born, she was a model. She was a singer and did lots of things like that and was very much a lover of fashion and I got my appreciation for fashion from her.

So it was definitely from her, but I really, it was something that I always loved. I was the youngest of four and I would always tell my sisters what to wear. And, and it's something that they always remember because I, they were much older than me. And, and yeah, it was just a love I always had.

Umindi Francis: I get it. I can definitely relate. My mom has six sisters and they're all quite fashionable and so while I'm an only child, just being at my grandparents' house and seeing all these older aunts who are like big sisters, flock around and hang out with their friends. It does rub off on you. And here we are today.

Carly Cushnie: Right. No, absolutely. I learned how your mom is one of, uh, has six sisters because my mom has six sisters. Really? Me too. Except that kind of.

Umindi Francis: So we get it. And I didn't know that about you. Known you for a really long time. Well, something else we have in common, but I completely get how, you know, the women around you inspire you.

Mm-hmm. , and you are incredibly chic. So I can only imagine your mom . So, I, yeah. So you mentioned that you studied, in London. Did you have a formal design education?

Carly Cushnie: So I grew up in London and went to boarding school in the uk and then I came to the States for university.

So I came and I studied fashion design at Parsons.

Umindi Francis: Okay, wonderful. Yeah. Parsons girl. That's fantastic. . Okay, fine. So you know, how was your experience at Parsons?

Carly Cushnie: I think, you know, a lot of people ask me, you know, there's great schools in the uk, there's great schools in Europe. How come you didn't stay? I mean, for me, I'd come to New York, as a teenager and I really loved it and I felt like a lot of my friends were having the opportunity to to go elsewhere for university, whether it be, you know, whether it be Manchester or Edinburgh, or get out of London and, and go and sp experience something else. And for me to study fashion, I would really have needed to stay in London and I really wanted to experience some and explore the world.

I get it. Makes complete sense.

So, I went to Parsons. Obviously it wasn't your typical, what you imagine, sort of a university experience to really be because your campus is in the middle of the city. Yeah. and at the time it's not this way anymore, but at the time the fashion program was in the garment district and everything else was downtown.

So you were kind of a, you were kind of in this little fashion bubble in the middle of the garment district, which was amazing because you can, you know, and the garment district isn't what, it isn't what it is, sorry, isn't what it was. you know, back then, you know, there were so many more factories and things going on. Um,And so it was great to sort of really be a part of that.

So it was just very much that sort of learning experience that you're getting, sort of, sort of being in the center of it all. Right. But it's definitely not a university experience and I like meeting guys and all of that because first of all, most, most of the program was entirely, um,women, right?

So. But I did, I think, you know, it was great, it was a great education in terms of the creative side of things, the business, development side of it was very lacking at the time when I was there. But, and that was something that you really had to learn on your own through, through interning or doing the research and really sort of understanding the business yourself, or through, you know, different jobs and stuff like it.

It was something that was not really taught at the time to people.

Umindi Francis: I, I'm shocked and amazed to hear that, or quite surprised. You have built such a phenomenal business and to, you know, you don't learn everything in school, right? Right. You, you take away things. It's a foundation and so forth. But building a business is not an easy feat.

And to have been able to do that out of school, I assume, is really impressive. And so to hear that is, is quite interesting. So then what happened next? You leave Parsons, then most people intern. Did you intern? Did you start your company immediately? What was next for you?

Carly Cushnie: I interned throughout my whole time at Parsons. So I was at Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, and Proenza Schouler. I think I learned the most at Oscar de la Renta and Proenza Schouler. At the time, they were completely different. You know, o o Oscar at the time had, you know, this very established sort of old school business, and it was like a, it's kind, it was kind of one of those dreamy, fashion environments that you kind of, It was kind of like an,an internship you would see like in the movies.

It was about like, everyone looked great, everyone was fab. You know. It was, where was the office located? It was actually, it was on, it was on Seventh Avenue. Okay. and, it was actually right by Parsons. And so I used to run over and, and Mr. de la Renta was always, you know, always cared about how everyone was dressed as well, you know, in the office and had to look a certain way.

And he would, and he would sing throughout the hallways and all of that. And it was just a wonderful experience being there.

And then on the flip side, Proenza Schouler at the time were a really, really small brand and their office was in Chinatown and I love it. Yeah, and I was running around to their factories and quality checking and stuff like that, but it was those factories that helped me that I started working with for my business when I started.

And so it was just really sort of learning and seeing how people do things along the way, you know, sometimes when you think like, oh, I'm just getting coffee, I'm just making photocopies, you are taking everything in, seeing how this person that you're sitting next to is doing that. Or if you get to listen in on that meeting or, you know, seeing, you know, where they're buying fabrics and, you know, it's, there's just so much to take in that I think a lot of people you know, take for granted that, oh, they're not doing enough. Or, you know, feel like, you know, they're just twiddling their thumbs. But I, you know, I. , there's so much to be learned just from seeing what other people say.

Umindi Francis: Observation. Yeah. The internships are so powerful. Mm-hmm. I relate to how you feel because my first fashion internships were at Elle Magazine and Nicole Miller on Seventh Avenue. Mm-hmm. Simultaneously. And literally my first day at work I saw André Leon Talley and Betsy Johnson skipping down the street, and I thought I had died and gone to fashion heaven. That's why I asked you where the office was, because being in the garment industry, especially at a brand like Oscar de la Renta with Mr. de la Renta, and I can imagine the reverence, um, is just a remarkable thing to reflect on. So thanks.

Carly Cushnie: Absolutely that, because you know, when you, when you are in, when you are on Seventh Avenue, and there's the, at the time, at the time there was, you know, so many different fashion houses. And people, you know, in that building, I forget what number it was now on Seventh Avenue, but there were lots of different um mm-hmm fashion houses in the building. So you'd meet other people as well, or other interns and you know, and it, it, it was just, it was just, there was so much energy.

Umindi Francis: Yeah. Yeah. And you grew up together. Yeah. So, fast forward, you know, you start your business, right? How did you decide on a partner? How did you meet? How did you get started? What gave you the inkling, the idea, the bravery to step out from, you know, your internships. Like what was next after the internships?

Carly Cushnie: I think, I mean I definitely planned on just getting a job afterwards. It wasn't, it was, it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna start a brand. And, and I think, I was actually offered a job at Oscar de la Renta. It wasn't a design job, it was in, it was in textile, it was in the textile department. And I was just like, do I do it and then see if I can make my way parlay into something, into the design department? Is it, is it gonna, or am I gonna just get stuck there? you know, which see for everyone starting out.

Yes. So it was a big question. I was just like, oh, Oscar de la Renta, an amazing brand, but I don't want the job. Right? Like, I don't, it's not the exact job I want. And so I was just like, and so I decided not to take it at the time. You know, just. I didn't wanna, I was too fearful of getting stuck. And so then it just kind of came about organically.

My partner at the time was someone who I'd gone to Parsons with and, we had felt that it was, we could create, we had felt that there was something that we could create together that felt unique at the time. And, and it just something that kind of started slowly but then started to snowball. And we had, a, there was a designer who was a mentor, he had done, he was, a mentor to like, I think it was our junior thesis. And it was someone that we'd kept in touch with and he actually really helped us.

Even just sort of, Doing the basics of the business that we didn't know. Like, you know, oh, you need to apply for this thing, right? And make sure you have this just like, and how to operate, you know, how to operate. You know, do you have such and such? Did you file for this number? And I was like, what the hell is that? Right?

So he was amazing, um, in that sense. And it was just being really sort of scrappy and young at the time. And I think being young and naive was a huge blessing.

Umindi Francis: Fools rush in. Yeah. It's a blessing.

Carly Cushnie: Yeah. Cause I, I would've, I think I would've never had the balls to really do what I did at that time.

Umindi Francis: And thank you for knowing what it takes. Yes. I

Carly Cushnie: feel you. . Right. And also I think, you know, I could work until, you know, three, four in the morning. No problem. Now I don't wanna do that. Um,

Umindi Francis: So I call it Tiger Blood.

Carly Cushnie: Thank you. Um,and so, yeah, I mean, to be honest, we ended up launching the business in 2008 when just the entire financial world collapsed. Right? That's right. which was during a recession or less. Yeah. Which was not great, but at, but that being said, we, you know, we got lucky and managed to secure, you know, a great retailer and you know, grew slowly from there.

Umindi Francis: Right So, right. Yeah. Slow. Slow is good. Mm-hmm. , so you definitely made your imprint on American fashion, you know, with your namesake brand. You had a regular show during the New York Fashion Week calendar. And you know, that's no small feat, right? Uh,you had partnerships with some of the world's leading retailers.

You truly had a fantastic viable business, and I applaud you for that, you know. How did you keep your business going for more than a decade? Um,I'm sure so many thoughts started flashing across your mind.

Carly Cushnie: So many thoughts. I think I, I definitely kept a really tight lean team for a really long time and, you know, it was, it was definitely the team around me who, who, who really helped build the business. I mean, some of the people had, by the time I closed the business, some of the people, two people in particular who were, I guess my most senior people, had been with me for 10 years, and really understood the brand, really understood what I was trying to do. And so the people are really, really important as well.

But it was also just, you know, fashion can be tricky at times because it's just, it's this form of artistic expression, but then at the same time, it's a product and has to function and has to sell, has to be wearable, and has to do all of these things.

And you know, there's a lot and, and the schedule is relentless and, you know, you're constantly half having to be creative and put, put new stuff out and so to really sort of grow the business steadily with my wholesale accounts I was producing in, in the garment district in New York, pretty much, almost say like 95% of the collection was all produced in New York for the entire, for the entirety of the business. And so, it enabled me to have the buyers buy the collection and then if it sold, well, I could recut, I could recut things really quickly and get it to them within two weeks.

And so, whereas a lot of people couldn't do that, and so they loved that aspect. They're like, oh my God, this sold, this is selling really well. We want more. And so I was just really building the business that way. and then they were coming back with bigger orders and bigger orders.

And for me, there were certain things that I had learned in particular from my internships as well, that you know about making sure that the quality was, was perfect and that fit was perfect because, and that production was on time. Because if you miss any of that, then stuff is coming right back to you and you're not getting paid.

Right. So, that was something that was just so critical to the business. And, you know, it's just, at the end of the day, it's just a lot of grit and, and hard work and just trying to, you know, wear as many hats as possible and realizing when you've made mistakes and just try and correct them as, as, as soon as possible.

Umindi Francis: You've just given a masterclass in fashion design in, literally five minutes. You know, you've touched on all the points for sure.

How did you get the stores interested to begin with? You know, who was the first store that took a chance on you?

Carly Cushnie: So I'm not sure if it's the same now, but when I was presenting my senior thesis at Parsons, there was a panel of judges, from the industry. I think it's the same still now, but I'm, I'm not sure. But at the time, there were some amazing people on my panel and Linda, Linda Fargo from Bergdorf, was on the panel and she was someone that I kept in touch with after I graduated and said, okay, thinking about starting a line. And always sort of kept in touch with her.

And she was very supportive. But then of course, 2008 happens and you know, all, all the retailers are freaking out because of course, what's the one thing that people do when they don't have money is they're not gonna, you know, be spending their money on luxury clothes. So, retailers were freaking out, but Bergdorf did wanna still see the collection.

Went to see Bergdorf with the collection and, And yeah, they bought the first season and so we were exclusive to them for the first season and then the business grew from that. I mean, obviously Bergdorf opens a lot of doors for you.

So once we were in there, then, you know, other, you know, it was easier to get other buyers to say, okay, come look at the collection.

And actually to be honest, the, the very first season, you know, myself and my partner and I were, were, were selling the collection and cold calling and emailing stores and doing, you know, what we had to do using some, some, the, the few contacts we had and then, sort and, but we did get people in the door at the time. but it was just, you know, and then once we were in Bergdorf or you know, to be able to say that you're there too.

Umindi Francis: Get the stores. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Well, that's a fantastic start and a fantastic tidbit. A bit of history.

You know, fun fact we go way back. Yes. Before I started my consulting firm, I worked with you and your partner for a brief period of time on your marketing comm strategy, and I'll never forget the time that we had the honor of having lunch with Kathy Horn, which was a big deal for both of us. Like, oh yeah, Kathy Horn is such an icon. We were all nervous, but she dropped so many jewels. She's such a brilliant woman. And one thing she asked, I hope you can recall, is she asked about your wholesale business, and you began producing some very beautiful tailored pieces.

I, I know they were kind of on par with, you know, Alexander McQueen, but a lot of your buyers were gravitating to different silhouettes. And you know, I wanna talk about how you dealt with that as a creative. You have an approach or an aesthetic you want for your brand, but your wholesale partners, especially at that time before e-commerce was really, you know, a driving force-- and it still happens to this day-- dictated, quite a bit, how your aesthetic and brand is shaped. So it all worked out, obviously, but how do you mitigate that? How did you mitigate that at the time? Because those pieces were beautiful as well.

Carly Cushnie: Yes, and and it's one of those things because it's always, you know, you pour so much into a collection and then the buyers only buy certain things and there's things that never get made, and it's always heartbreaking.

There's always going to be the case. But I remember when I was interning at os Oscar de la Renta, and I remember the director of sales at the time, was selling this one collection, and I can't remember which department store it was like either Saks or Neimans was in, and the whole collection was about polka dots that season.

And one of the stores, uh, one of the department stores didn't want it, was not into the polka dots. And, and she was just like, well, you cannot have the collection at all unless you buy the polka dots, because that is the collection. Right. And she, and I just remember hearing her saying it and just like would not budge.

Now obviously this is Oscar de la Renta. Right. So they can do that.

Umindi Francis: Did you try that?

Carly Cushnie: And so no, not exactly like that, but it just, it was just always something that I remembered to not just totally always give in and to all, and because at the end of the day, you do wanna get your foot in the door and you do want the buyers to, you know, buy, you know, some of the collection, make a buy.

But you know, as you grow with them, you can push them into like, you know, this is also a very popular silhouette. This is the direction that we're going. You need to try this along with that. And you know, sometimes, you know, sometimes you have to take the risk on yourself. Sometimes you have to say like, hey, I want you to try this, but maybe I'll be willing to give this to you, you know, on consignment.

Or maybe I'm gonna be, you know, just so that, just so that your customer gets a chance to see it. Right. Because that's what you want. Because you know, you know, like once your customer sees it, they're gon, she's gonna buy it, right? So you've got to get it in, you know, in the door. But I think, they do get there eventually, but you have to push them and educate them.

I think once you're in the door and you can prove that your stuff is selling and you, then, then they're more likely to be like, okay, we'll try some of this as well.

Umindi Francis: Great. Yeah. That requires a ton of bravado to do so. And business acumen and belief in yourself. And strength. So again, kudos.

Carly Cushnie: Well, cuz it's also like, you know, the people you have, whether it's you who's signing the collection or you are with a showroom or you are, or you have someone, a salesperson in house. They've got to really believe and understand the brand as well. You know, like my sales director, she always wanted to see everything from the beginning, from, you know, from the concept, from the colors, from everything. She wanted to be totally consumed by it and, you know, totally understand it. Didn't read it. So that she could give it her best when she's performing to the buyers.

Right, right.

Umindi Francis: I love it. I love it.

So you started your brand in 2008, which pretty much means. You grew your business as social media grew, right?

And so I wanna talk about that. With the strength of e-commerce and social media, how did that help or hurt the growth of your business? I think a lot of people, there's so many different perspectives on it, but love to hear yours.

Carly Cushnie: So when I first started, I didn't take, Instagram didn't even exist, I don't think, when I first started.

And it was just, it took, it didn't, it did. So it definitely took a while to sort of figure it out and, and, you know, sort of realize as a brand that you're supposed to be on it. I felt it was a great way to sort of, and I think still now it's, and there's so many pros and cons still now with, with social media.

I think it was a great way to be able to showcase your collection to the world at the time. I loved it to be able to find collaborators, to find stylists, photographers or creatives, other creatives that I got to work with cuz it was, you know, maybe a photographer would reach out and be like, I'd love to work with your brand.

And then you'd go to their page, see their work, oh, it's beautiful, and be able, and that I really loved. And I loved being able to sort of directly connect with my customer and see the things that they're gravitating towards.

I think now it's a very different animal and it's, there's just, you know, there's just so much content being produced and there's your, and as, as a consumer, you're being fed so much.

So I think it's, you know, it's a far different space, but I think it was, you know, it's really critical in terms of, you know, building your direct to consumer business, which is something that, you know, I wish I had done earlier in my business. But I wasn't able to, in terms of financing until, um, was able to raise capital and really sort of develop that side.

And because I had, you know, the opportunity to dress a lot of celebrities and things like that, it was a great way for people to be able to see that. Right. All in one place. That okay, you can see, you know, you can buy the collection here and, and all of that, but, you know, also, Beyonce's wanted, or, or whoever, or Selena or something like that, and you know, it, it really sort of draws the following in. Right.

Umindi Francis: So would you say that social media helps sell luxury today? Luxury brands? I know there's different categories, things at different price points, but like high priced ready to wear, for example, is different from accessories. Uh, What's your perspective?

Carly Cushnie: I'm not sure.

Uh, the jury's still out. Yeah, because to be honest, I have felt, because obviously you could direct on my Instagram account, you could directly shop. But did I ever sell anything directly through Instagram? No. I felt like people were also, because I said as a consumer, when I'm looking on, on our brand side, I find it interesting just to look and see how much something is.

Mm-hmm. So that to me was just helpful, just information as a consumer. You know, most people went directly to the site to purchase. And me personally, I'm not purchasing directly through Instagram if it's a luxury item. I'm always gonna go straight to the site.

Do you want the experience? Yeah. It was just because, you know, if you're spending a certain amount of money, it's not like I'm just buying lip gloss and clicking, okay, fine. Mm-hmm. Do you know what I mean? I'm like, if I'm spending a lot of money, I wanna go to the site and make sure I'm, you know, not messing this up or like, I actually, you know, you know, and so, um.

But I think it does, it does inform the customer. It does, you know, it is, it is, it is drawing in a customer. It's, it's, I think people are getting to see it and then whether they buy it on, you know, through Instagram directly, I'm not sure. But you know, they, at least they're going back to the site or going to, I don't know, Net-a-Porter and buying it.

Umindi Francis: Right. Right. At least there's hard data on that now. Yeah. That we can look at. But I really appreciate hearing your perspective on that. It's a question I get quite often.

Carly Cushnie: Yeah. No, it's, it's, it's definitely, it is a challenging one because there is so much out there that, you know, you're competing with a lot and then you know. More than ever. Right.

And then all these influencers who are gifted all of this luxury stuff as well. So there's a lot to compete with. But I still, it's still important for luxury brands to have that presence. So you have that visibility that you know, people, you know are coming to see you. Because even now, if someone mentions a brand that I don't know, my first instinct is to go to Instagram rather than to Google even.

Right. and. . And so it's, it's important to have that presence.

Umindi Francis: Right. It'll be interesting to see how things progress even in the next 36 months. Yeah. With all of these platforms and the introduction of new platforms and the way they're evolving and changing.

Carly Cushnie: I know it's just a, it's a lot. It's a lot for people. You know. It's one thing if you are a full-time content creator, it's another thing if you are an entrepreneur and you have your, you know, bus, you know, whatever, different businesses to run. And then you also have to become a content creator because you constantly have to put out different content for all these different platforms.

Umindi Francis: Don't we know it? It. It's really a beast. It's really a beast. And, and you know, we continue to tell folks like, you just have to find a way. Mm-hmm. to make time for it. But, you've mastered that. And

Carly Cushnie: I'm glad you think so. I feel like sometimes I'm just like, oh my God. This is just,

Umindi Francis: I

I think everyone, even the people who are at their best with it, it's a constantly changing denominator. Mm-hmm. So I think everyone has this feeling of what's next and how to, you know, no pun intended. Yeah. and how to keep it going.

So let's talk about pivoting then. Mm-hmm. The art of the pivot. You've had this brand for a decade, and then you decide to move in another direction. What happened? Why?

Carly Cushnie: So basically I was trying to raise right before the pandemic hit and I actually got very close with, with, with someone, with an investor. And I was just like, okay, great. And then of course it happened and it was just, there had been, you know, without giving you the whole full, long story, but there had been like, you know, several difficulties, you know, leading up to this point.

And, you know, sort of, you know, on the outside, you know, the brand was doing really well in terms of, in terms of, you know, visibility, in terms of,just the, just growing the collection and it selling well. It was already doing really, really well at that point. And my Target collection was just launching.

Um, I, I . Um, so all of these things were happening and my Target collection ended up having to move, get pushed out a few months because it was supposed to launch in April of 2020. Wow. And then that was when everyone was just like, oh, it's gonna be, oh, COVID is gonna be like two months. So they pushed it to June and then George Floyd was murdered and then they were like, they called me, they're like, what do we do? And I was just like, I was like, we have to launch it. It's a summer dress collection. Like after this point we are like a point. Yeah.

So, you know, and things were already, you know, people, because it was summer, obviously people could go outside and still, like it was opening up a little bit. Even Covid was still around, but it was just, you know, things were opening up a little bit. So I was just like, we have to launch this. So that was happening.

Plus at the same time I gave birth to my second child in April, 2020 as well. Wow. So there was just a lot going on. And so I felt like, you know what? I think this is a good time to just reset and just stop. You know, no one was clear about when Covid was going to ease up, right? I made clothes for people to like to go out and live their lives in, and, you know, people were like, why don't you like to make sweatpants or make loungewear? And I'm like, I don't want to. You know?

And like I, first of all, I make all of my stuff in New York, so my factories, you know, at the time weren’t operating. But, even still, I was just like, I don’t want to make $1,000 pajamas.

Umindi Francis: Right.

Carly Cushnie: You know, that’s just not what I want to do.

Umindi Francis: To be fair.

Carly Cushnie: You know, so, that’s not what I want to do. So, I was just like, you know what, there’s a whole ton of bricks have happened now, you know, between, you know, needing more capital for my business.

And now you know, my second child and I had. My second child was a surprise, little early surprise. And so we love, so I had literally like two babies. So I had two babies that were a year apart. And so I was just like, this is the time to just, you know, reset, reset, take a break and, and close it.

I was like, I felt like we had a good run. You sure did. And yeah, it was definitely a hard decision and a heartbreaking decision and. you know, I had, you know, I, you know, adored my team and it was definitely difficult, but I definitely, I, you know, after a few years now, I, I feel, I feel good about the decision that I made.

It gave me time to take a step back and actually have time to be creative because so much of the time you are running the business and running the da, you know, different things, whether it's just finances or marketing or dealing with people issues or whatever it is. And, and so it allowed me to sort of jump into projects that I was interested in doing. And I could, you know, be creative and, and have the time to really sort of enjoy it. Whereas like with the fashion schedule, you're just like, okay, be creative right now.

Umindi Francis: Like, yes.

Carly Cushnie: Push this out. Um,and so it allowed me to do that and just do different things and explore things in interiors, and still do things in fashion and, and also do other creative things that, you know, I hadn't done before.

It sort of also scared me a little bit, but it kind of, sort of wakes you up, a little bit more too.

Umindi Francis: I love it all for you. And you are such a part of a big loving community, in the fashion industry and I think that, you know, watching you pivot in this way has been a joy to watch. Mm-hmm. . And I just want you to walk us through, you know, so the business is closed and you start venturing into these new and different areas. Recap for our listeners. What did you do?

Carly Cushnie: So I can't say that I had like this grand plan when I closed the business. It was definitely like, yeah, I definitely wasn't sure and I needed a moment to figure things out.

I then, you know, I started exploring the things that I., You know, hadn't had the opportunity to do. So. Like what? So like interiors are something that I'd always loved and I had not, you know, aside from my home, it was not something that I, was, you know, have been able to, to explore. So I have, I've had, over the last year, I've had the opportunity to do some spaces, that were amazing, that, that weren't my own and, and partner with diff uh, with, interior brands.

I do have, an interiors partnership that, I'm working on that I can't speak about, but that I'm, you know, working on now and, you know, things that I. You heard it here first. Um,and so I'm super excited about that.

But it was just, you know, work, even working on a friend's property was the first one that I did, and it was just really great that, you know, my friend trusted me.

She's just like, you know what? Lots of trust. You do it. She's just like, I don't, I mean, one day she said to me, she's like, Carly, she's like, I'm not really even reading the emails that you're sending me anymore. She's like, I just trust you. Just. You know, if it's, uh, she's like, you just pick everything and it's all, my God, I love you. A dream. A dream client. A dream client.

So, and so it was just really great to be able to, to, you know, to explore this sort of new world. And, you know, it is very different. It, it is, has its similarities to fashion, but also very different because it's, interior design for somebody else is very personal. Right. It's very personal to that person.

Yes. whereas a collection is personal to me. And so that was, that was something that was incredibly fun for me. And then, and then some of the other things I have done, I did a collection with, Anthropology Weddings For a bridal collection. Yes. Which was, which was wonderful. And so, and so fun to, you know, see brides and, you know, that was, super highlight.

And then, and then I did the costumes for a new piece at, uh, the, uh, American Ballet Theater. What an honor. Which, which was incredible. And it was not something that I'd ever thought about doing in my life. Like I'd never thought about doing costumes for a ballet. It was not something that I dreamed of.

I love the ballet I had seen a piece from this one choreographer the year before and I was just blown away by it. And I thought it was absolutely incredible. And then their head of PR ABT, she was just like, he's actually doing a new piece and he's looking for a costume designer.

And the entire creative team is going to be black. And I was just like, wow. She's like, everyone, opportunity. Yeah. The composer, the conductor, the, you know, everyone. I was just like, this is an. This was just incredible. And none of the creative team had, you know, worked on a piece like this.

And it was just really moving and,the artistic director of the whole piece was just incredible to work with. I've just felt very fortunate. And you know, especially as it was a very, like, new experience, I was just like, you know, I'm coming from fashion and there's divas in fashion, but I imagine in the performance arts is on like a whole other level. Another artistic level. But it, it definitely, it was not, and there was just, you know, it was just a wonderful experience and so, and so, yeah, so I've had, you know, I've been, you know, been filling my days with, you know, a lot of these like, beautiful experiences, so I feel very grateful.

Umindi Francis: I think that's so fantastic. And it speaks to and inspires many people who may be in a space and have accomplished success. And as such, they may not want to leave because they're accustomed to something and there's fear on the other side. But here you are, someone who's had a successful brand and at the height of the brand, really at the height you decided for you and for other reasons, it's time to stop and I wanna try something different.

And it's something that we all enjoy and can celebrate as well. I love interior design. As someone who's, you know, an avid consumer of print publication, the beautiful images, it was always a nice departure, print being fashion. Mm-hmm. Publications, a nice departure to enjoy an Architectural Digest and Elle Decor.

So when I saw you posting about that and your friend's home, I was enthralled, so thrilled to see, your aesthetic. you know, translated in a different way and you've done it so fantasticly. You know, as well as the bridal collection and so many other things.

So I just think we're just excited to see whatever Carly does, because whatever Carly does, she does it tastefully, beautifully. And so one of my favorite mantras is the world is your oyster. Um,for sure, with regard to that and your creativity.

Carly Cushnie: No, thank you. I think. Yeah, it's definitely, it's just, it's definitely been great for me to have this time to explore and do these different things. Cause I think sometimes, you know, especially when you have your business, you can sometimes feel stuck creatively.

And so it felt good to explore these other avenues and do things that sort of scared me a little bit and was just like, oh my God, can I do this? And, you know, and, and sort of, sort of reignite something again, it, you know, it feels good. I. I, you know, I've always said to myself, you know, I, whenever I've, whenever I've made mistakes in my life, it's because, you know, I've gone against my gut, you know, and, and that I've always need to, you know, moving forward if my, if I'm not feeling right about it, you know.

And so I, I think once, you know, once I made the decision to close the business and, you know, and it was always something like, you know, if I want to do it again, I can.

You sure can. You know, and so there's no, there's no, it doesn't, you know, there's no, there's no reason why I, you know, there's no reason why I can't, there's no, there's no limitations. But for me, I was just like, you know, my gut's telling me that this is the right thing to do and it's, you know, and it's felt really good since then.

Umindi Francis: So what advice would you give to someone who is considering their second or third act?

Carly Cushnie: I would say, I would say take your time. you know, I think there's, there's a lot coming at us. you know, whether it's through, whether it's through family, whether it's your parents, your, your partner, your your friends, social media.

There's a lot of expectations that other people put on you that you put on your self I would definitely, you know, if you, if you do have something in mind in particular, do the research and take the time to really figure out if it is something that you wanna be full-time in. Because, you know, there is this, I feel like it's, it's very common now for people to feel like, oh, okay, well my work is not my passion, and so I now need to make it my passion otherwise, right? Like I'm failing at life. And I don't think that necessarily be, if you are happy in your job and it's fulfilling in the way that it provides for you, and it provides a life that you love, then that's, then that's great too.

It doesn't have to, you know, be all, all encompassing, right? So, yeah, I think it's, it's something that, you know, don't rush into it. We have lots of time. I think we get, we get sort of bombarded sometimes with, you know, people who are, you know, 30, under 30 and and seeing people start things and sell things before that, you know. And you're just kind of like, oh my God, I need to do this.

I think, you know, we don't need to rush and I think I need to tell myself that sometimes too. Yeah, absolutely. so, you know, yes, take your time. Which is, you know, especially like in the fashion industry, it's hard because you're so, so much onto the next thing, but you know, there's, there's always tomorrow.

Umindi Francis: Yeah. Yeah. That's sage advice. Sage advice. Thanks so much.

So, what do you think? Next you know, the title of the podcast is What's Next. What do you think is next in the fashion industry? Not even in the fashion industry, just in design.

Carly Cushnie: Just in design in general. It's so interesting, you know, because fashion is something that is. It has been so forward. thinking it's you. You're looking ahead, right? You're looking ahead to the next season and it's always, you know, very forward thinking. But then it's kind of one of the most antiquated industries in the way it operates.

How so? And the way, you know, in, in the way, even in the way we make clothes, there's not been that much advancement in how we make clothes, to be honest. And then even, you know, just even from the fashion schedule itself, the way, you know, we're producing, you know, we're showing it now and then it's coming out later and all, you know, and I, I had, you know, I had hoped there had been, would be a much, a bigger shift, you know, during Covid because I really felt that there was a time for that.

But, you. know, I don't, I think there was a, a bigger opportunity to create more change at that time. And, you know, a lot of it didn't really happen in terms of, you know, just even like all these shows being all over the place during fashion week and,

I think. , even from the designer's point of view in, from a designer point of view, in terms of like even trying to work more sustainably, I think there's just not even, enough information and resources out there mm-hmm. for brands to be able to do it in a way that's also cost effective to. Right. To be able to make money and sell clothes at a, at a decent price. You know? So I would like to see,a lot more brands working, moving to work in a sustainable, more sustainable way.

I think the Gen Z generation is shopping, very differently, and I think that's going to, you know, affect change, affect change, you know, a lot in, you know, in, in generations to come.

So, I mean, that's obviously, you know, down the road, but I think, I think that's gonna really, create a shift because, there is a lot out there. And I think it's really about those designers and those voices that are creating things that are made beautifully, but in a, in a much more sustainable way. I think it's, it's really crucial at the, you know, as, as we move forward.

Umindi Francis: Fantastic. Fantastic. So what's next for Carly?

Carly Cushnie: Um, there are, there are lots of things that are next for me that I unfortunately can't share this time. And that's okay. But, you know, I'm still, I'm still, I'm still working in the fashion and interior space. It's not, I, I haven't left fashion entirely and I, I love having the flexibility and having my sort of one foot in, in both, and being able to sort of be creative and do as I please.

So freedom. Freedom.

Umindi Francis: Yeah. Freedom. Yes. I think that's the underlying factor here. Yeah. You know, creating a space where you are free to live your best life. Yes. You know if you can, and you certainly earn that after all that you've accomplished and done. It's been such an honor and pleasure, to speak to you and hear your perspective on the industry and thanks for sharing your story. I know many people are going to be inspired by it. And as I said, whatever you touch, we're looking forward to seeing it because it turns to gold.

Carly Cushnie: Thank you so much. Thank you for telling me.

Umindi Francis: So Carly, where can people find you?

Carly Cushnie: You can find me at Carly Cushnie on Instagram or on my website is just carlycushnie.com.

Umindi Francis: Amazing. Thanks so much. Thank you.