Sustainability can be a perfect fit for fashion—to the point of becoming the core concept of an entire brand. Although building such a brand is far from easy, the story of this journey is truly fascinating, as shared by Cynthia Lau, the founder of Casa Lily.
Cynthia Lau is the mastermind behind Casa Lily, an ethical fashion company run by women of multicultural heritages—including Cuban, Chinese, and Spanish. The company is located in Miami, FL, and is distinguished by its fair, open, and ethical approach to style at every level—from sourcing materials to production, and everything in between.
The Beginnings
Cynthia Lau shared her story, highlighting that for as long as she can recall, she has been interested in self-expression—both through fashion and theatre. Yet, her passion for fashion eventually prevailed over her plans to become a doctor or scientist.
“I’ve always been a fashion lover in one way or another,” she says. Since she started working with designers and gained experience in modeling, she had multiple opportunities to explore this world and ultimately decided to start her own brand.
The Impactful Steps
For Cynthia, building her own fashion brand is all about recognizing that everyone can make an impact. For example, she uses vegan and responsibly sourced materials in her products.
“The most important thing when it comes to being sustainable is that you’re realizing, first, that you’re part of the problem, and second, that you’re taking small steps,” says Cynthia.
Running the company in a sustainable way is also about limiting the number of produced goods and supporting “timeless designs” instead of flooding the market with new products and encouraging people to buy continuously.
No Easy Way
Building a startup from scratch in the highly competitive fashion environment was far from easy. As an early-stage founder, she had to deal with limited funds, production delays, and tariff issues, among others. Yet, the key was being prepared—even for less probable scenarios.
“I always have a plan B and C,” she says.
Cynthia also emphasizes how important branding consistency is to building the business. She shared that the signature “wave heel” not only reflects the brand’s commitment to environmentalism but also aims to showcase the empowerment these shoes bring.
“I want women, when they step into a Casa Lily, to know that it’s a Casa Lily and to feel empowered—because when you wear heels, you feel empowered,” she says.
Building the Community
The brand consistency and reliability have resulted in building a community of customers who recognize the value brought by the brand. Cynthia is also hosting community-based events, where deeper connections with customers can be forged.
At the end of the podcast, Anna and Cynthia held a rapid-fire Q&A session, during which Cynthia showcased her energetic and decisive nature and shared further details about her approach to building adaptability, resilience, and multiple backup plans for any venture.
The full version of the talk can be found on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
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