Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley was born on July 29, 1958, in Burlington, USA. She loved making things from a young age and made her first dress at age seven. She enrolled at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to study design, and sold her first full collection while there. It consisted of only eight pieces, but it caught the eye of a buyer at a major department store, bringing her to prominence. She then moved to New York and founded her own label, Cynthia Rowley, in 1988. She has since produced a wide range of products, including womenswear, menswear, shoes, bags, eyewear, lotions, and perfumes. She won the CFDA New Designer Award and the Perry Ellis Award in 1995, and gained worldwide recognition. She continues to present her collections at New York Fashion Week. While raising her two children, Rowley's passion for surfing has led to her collaborating with a renowned surf brand to design surfwear. She is also an art lover and has collaborated with contemporary artists, Gagosian Gallery, and MoMA.

She also started a business with her husband, Bill Powers, owner of New York's Half Gallery, to support young employees in starting their own businesses, and in 2010 they founded "Exhitition A," which sells art online. A pop-up shop was also held in Japan last year. Furthermore, as a second initiative, they launched "Curious," which sells candy and party collections. A shop opened in Manhattan last year.

In addition to being a judge on the TV audition program "Project Runway," she has also appeared on programs such as "American's Next Top Model."