PLACES

04:36 am
03 March 2017

Retail Spotlight with Karla Gallardo, CEO and CoFounder of Cuyana

Retail Spotlight with Karla Gallardo, CEO and CoFounder of Cuyana
Karla Gallardo, CEO and CoFounder of Cuyana

1) What inspired the Cuyana concept?

Both Shilpa and I shared a love of fashion, but felt unfulfilled by the way the industry was pushing us to consume in an unthoughtful way. Fashion should be empowering and when it came to a woman’s go-to essentials, there was a lack of quality available in the middle range, between fast fashion and luxury goods. So, we set out to fill that gap. We believe you can have amazing quality and beautiful design, and it can still be accessible.

2) You have established storefronts in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles – do you expect to grow further?

We want to bring our retail experience to as many of our customers as possible and continue growing our presence in cities around the country, and eventually the world. Cuyana’s showrooms are designed to reflect the same level of detail that makes up our product designs. They embody our fewer, better philosophy with a clean aesthetic filled with curated corners and beautiful product moments. We will be opening a pop-up in New York City in the weeks to come, and also plan on bringing our collections to Chicago and beyond before the end of the year.

cuyana_photo_2-23) Is there a typical Cuyana customer?  If so, could you describe him/her?

We design for a modern woman who has set out to accomplish so many things, and wants a beautifully curated wardrobe that will not only keep up with her, but will last a lifetime. Our woman is very intentional about what she invests in. She cares for the pieces in her closet, she is thoughtful about the fabrics and the countries they were crafted in. Each customer styles our essentials with their own personal touch.

4) Would you recommend retail entrepreneurship to young people pursuing a business career?

Retail is an exciting space to be in right now. It is changing and evolving with the digital fashion age, and currently allows for more creativity and innovation than ever. Those who are passionate about innovating the fashion landscape will find it to be both challenging and exciting.