Wide Awake with Carly Cushnie

It seems as though the term tastemaker was invented so the universe could define Carly Cushnie in one word. 

Her portfolio skims every area of creativity at the highest caliber possible – home interiors featured in Elle Magazine, a design project with American Girl Doll, a brand partnership with Target, and costume design for the American Ballet Theatre (to name a few). Denim, swimwear, bridal, jewelry… and if she hasn’t done it yet, she will.

Carly’s roar has echoed loudest thus far with the success of her luxury ready-to-wear brand CUSHNIE. Founded in 2008, CUSHNIE was Carly’s first personal project following the completion of her BA from Parsons. Her business expertise grew during her years interning at high end fashion houses such as Proenza Schouler, Oscar de la Renta and Donna Karan, priming her for the success she and her initial business partner, Michelle Ochs, would experience in the years to follow. 

The collection featured vibrant tones draped in ever-so-elegant construction, illustrious enough to end up in the closets of legends like Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Rihanna, and Zendaya. She quickly partnered with iconic retailers like Bergdorf, Neiman’s, and Saks, holding 100+ accounts worldwide. That was until COVID-19, when Carly humbly closed CUSHNIE to align her career positioning in the newly redefined world. 

That year, she paid homage to the brand with a designer collection at Target that brought iconic silhouettes back to life – at a price point for all. In 2021, she partnered with Summersalt to design her first swim collection, and was chosen by American Girl Doll to redesign six historic dolls with her modernized eye. And just two years ago, she made her comeback in bridal design with an exclusive collection at Anthropologie… all done before the age of 40. 

Carly stands as a paradigm for black women in fashion as the first African American female nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Award. She has Forbes mentions, Vogue nominations, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the CFDA. Now, you can catch her taking on design projects for home interiors, curating style edits on her platforms, and tossing in casual work for  J Crew, West Elm and Harpers Bazaar (!!!), all while also holding her other full time positions as wife and mother of two.

To balance such chaos, one must keep it real.  And this is how Carly Cushnie does just that.

Quick Q's

My morning non negotiable is… sunlight on my face.

Signature weekday uniform? Vintage jeans, vintage sweatshirt, vintage (looking) tennis shoes

If I never had to sleep I would… do everything at night. I’m a night owl, I love to stay up late working or doing projects, but I’ve had to break myself of that habit since I’m not a nocturnal animal and have to function early in the morning like the rest of the world.

Favorite step of your morning routine?  The Morning Cocktail Vitamin C Serum – I can see the instant brightness and it's so satisfying

My coffee shop order is… a matcha latte with almond milk and a little honey (vanilla sweetener if I’m treating myself).

My de-stresser of choice is… wine.

Something that lives rent free in your work bag is… lip balm.

What I left behind when I left my ex was… my hope? Kidding. Probably my Romantic idealism.

Death row cocktail? Mezcal margarita

Something I don’t give a f**k about is… whether or not everyone likes me.

Career peak thus far? I think I’m always peaking considering that I have a job doing what I love to do. I’m not exactly bringing peace to the Middle East so I know it’s a real privilege to play and be creative and I’m always grateful it continues (knock on wood)

My theme song is… something SZA.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Turning off the AC – I sleep with it cold and wake up freezing

My line to live by is… “When you don't know what to do, do nothing" – Oprah. That will save you from a lot.