Images courtesy of Everlane
The morning the news broke that Shein had acquired Everlane, my phone filled up with texts from friends in the industry asking variations of the same question: Have you talked to Cynthia?
I had. I texted her right away, as a friend, to ask if she was okay. Her response was warm and did not surprise me at all: forward-looking, already focused on what comes next. No spiral. No dramatics. Calm, cool, collected.
In eighteen years of knowing each other — she hired me as a designer at J. Crew in 2008, later recruited me to her team at Gap, and somewhere along the way became one of those people you stay in touch with no matter what city either of you happens to be living in — I have never once seen her lead with fear. She’s built a thirty-year career in fashion by doing the opposite.
Which makes her the right person to be sitting in the eye of this particular storm. Because the Shein-Everlane deal has triggered something more than the usual fashion-industry discourse. And Everlane was never just a clothing brand to its customers. It was a promise: of radical transparency, of ethical sourcing, of proof that you didn’t have to choose between looking good and feeling good about what you were wearing. And Shein is, by almost every measure, the antithesis in every way.
I’m not a journalist asking Cynthia Ng the hard questions from the outside. I’m a designer who sat across from her in concept meetings and sketch reviews and fittings for years, who understands exactly what it costs to hold a creative vision together inside a business under pressure. That context is either a conflict of interest or what makes reading this more interesting.
What follows is our conversation about Cynthia’s career journey, everything that’s led her to this moment and what she believes Everlane stands for today.
We spoke by video call on Friday May 30th, a couple weeks after the acquisition was announced. Cynthia had just returned home from Los Angeles, where Everlane recently relocated its headquarters. The company asked me to hold on publishing this interview until the acquisition was finalized.
ON HER CAREER
Jamie: I want to start our conversation where you started. Because I think your path explains a lot about how you approach your current role. Can you take me through your career up until this point?
Cynthia: I allowed myself to try a lot of things in my 20s. I actually ask my daughters who are in college to do that also. You have to try everything in order to know what you love and what you don’t love. Going into the fashion industry is the same. There are so many facets, there are so many ways to approach it. My first job was at J. Crew and I knew right away that I loved corporate, the structure, the cross-functional teams, the support. All these great minds coming together, all moving towards one goal.
But then I tried working at a runway fashion house for Isaac Mizrahi. It was hardcore because it was the supermodel era so you got to see everything up close. I’m nostalgically speaking about the Naomi Campbells, the Carolyn Murphys, the Linda Evangelistas. I was just this fly on the wall, this young designer, who never thought she would be doing that. But just to be the person who emptied the ashtrays and changed the polaroid reel. Just to be in the room – was so amazing. I spent so much time on a stool in the pattern room, just watching, asking questions and they were so patient with me.
And then my dad got sick and I went to run my parents’ business. I was 25 and I did that for three years.
Jamie: They were in manufacturing. I forgot about that. But I remember thinking that you knew the production process so well because of that.
Cynthia: Because of that, it honestly was. I think I grew up really fast from 25 to 28. Because you go back to run a family business, it’s really serious and you have to make payroll every week.
Jamie: That’s a lot of pressure.
Cynthia: Yeah, you’re completely accountable for all of it. When it’s your business and you’re doing the work, and you’re 25 and somebody’s saying, like, wake up. Fifty people are relying on you for their payroll every single week. I think I really said, oh, wow. I’m an adult. Everybody is waiting for work – you have to prep, time is money, you have deadlines. I learned it really quickly and it became second nature.
After that I went back to work at J. Crew. It was interesting to watch J. Crew go through a transition, not very much unlike what I’ve been going through the last year or so. But you realize there’s so much to learn from it. The ownership changed, Mickey Drexler came in, Jenna Lyons became the wonderful celebrity that she is now, but she was also a wonderful person before.
What I learned from that experience is that you have instincts. You have to listen to your instincts if they’re worth listening to. And I think I spent a good portion of my years in my 30s and 40s, really honing that instinct. Trusting my instincts. Validating my instincts. It’s not something you’re born with. You’re taught to tap them down and go with what you’re told.
Jamie: Especially in the last 10-15 years, everyone’s so data driven and you really need both. Data and instincts.
Cynthia: I think you do need both because data is hindsight. And instinct is forecasting. I think that’s exactly the difference and you need both.
And then Gap gave me my business degree. It was working at scale and having an impact around the globe that I hadn’t experienced yet. Every single place I’ve been, there’s an experience or something that I took away. And some things I don’t want to take away – I leave behind.
Jamie: I feel like you got the left brain at your parents’ business, the right brain at J. Crew, and then Gap was the place you got to put them together.
Cynthia: Absolutely. It really made both sides spark and start to work together. It was like speaking two languages. Some people only speak numbers and some people only speak design. And you have to bring them together to make sure you always speak to your audience.
Jamie: And what’s been the biggest takeaway from all of them?
Cynthia: The customer is ultimately your boss. If you really listen to the customer, for the most part, they’re telling you through the lack of sales. They’re telling you with full carts but not finishing transactions. They’re telling you with conversion. They’re telling you with click-through rates if you’re doing your job or not. If your vision is right.
And you need to be nimble enough to say: “Okay, well, I have another idea.” You really do have to think on your feet because it’s about sharp elbows and fighting for a brand’s right to exist. What is its differentiator? Constantly looking for that thing that’s different that you can really speak loudly about.
And that’s where I am now. Four or five brands that have taught me something different about how you change a brand, not just a signature, have all brought me to Everlane.
ON EVERLANE
Jamie: How long have you been at Everlane and what do you think the brand stands for today?
Cynthia: My passion and why I joined Everlane, and where I believe I brought it to, is holding to its quality. I always thought of Everlane as something that had great quality for the price. It’s accessible. The sustainability. The transparency.
I think that’s also another reason I said, after being at some mega-brands: “This is different.” I had taken a sustainability course and I said: “This is really what I want to do.” I think this is the way for the future. If not sustainability, circularity. That’s the next chapter for us.
I also realized it was losing a little bit of relevance. We’ve kept a lot of things. We just made it better. We wanted the customer to be more satisfied. That was my year’s journey. Better fit. Better make. It was never to let go of the better make and the transparency with our factories. And doing the best we could.
Jamie: The biggest story right now is Shein acquiring Everlane – and Everlane really standing for that transparency and sustainability. The two companies are really at odds with their values and their value proposition for the customer.
Cynthia: I think that we were bought for who we are. And how do you be the best version of yourself.
Jamie: And so you think nothing changes?
Cynthia: I am determined to be who we are and to protect what we do.
Jamie: And you feel like you can do that better now with the funding? I mean, we’ve talked about how the last year has been challenging and I’ve read about Everlane being in debt over the last year. Now obviously being bought, being acquired…
Cynthia: You don’t go into that kind of debt overnight. That’s been ten years in the making…of choices. Best choices at the time, but choices. Then you add tariffs on top of that. It’s walking a fine line and then… suddenly. Everybody knows that from the press. But let me put it into context. It’s not something that you do overnight. It was bubbling under the surface all this time.
I’m not going to lie. It’s definitely a lifeline. It’s a lifeline to now be the best. Now it’s the dedication and actions of me and my partners and colleagues to show up the best. Because you are given this chance.
Jamie: I was reading Reddit forums, as one does, and a lot of people have a lot to say.
Cynthia: What are you going to say? Taylor Swift said it best: “Haters are gonna be haters.” What can you do? There’s nothing to report if nothing was going to be provocative. I think we’re going to take the high road.
Jamie: Well listen, time will tell, right?
Cynthia: You see it in the forums. You see it in politics. People want to believe what they want to believe. We just need to prove ourselves that we are holding the torch with what the brand needs to be.
ON SUSTAINABILITY
Jamie: We’ve talked about this before, that sustainability has always been a struggle economically at scale. And that is your mission, right? To make sustainability more affordable.
Cynthia: That was Everlane’s mission. The economy of the brand changed. I think that has been everything that Everlane has stood for since 2019. They brought on sustainability and that’s very important. We actually have certified materials. We don’t just have organic. It’s certified. And around 90% of the line, which we’re so proud of, is certified organic cottons. Everything is responsibly done and we have receipts for all of it. We’re not, in that sense, other brands that can just say: “We’re ethically sourced.” And that’s it. They can just say it. That’s where we also are different.
Jamie: You use recycled materials also…
Cynthia: We do. Almost all of our polyester is certified recycled.
My dream is to bury a t-shirt and unearth it 25 years later. They say the composting of cotton takes 30 to 40 years. If I could pull it out and it would just be labels and threads, we’ve done our job. That’s the validation we need. And that’s always the goal for us. To take it from the intention of every material, every design, every trim. We consider how close we can get to something responsible.
Jamie: I’ve always thought about this from both inside and outside of brands, but do you think consumers truly care about sustainability? Or do they just want the identity of caring?
When you look at how people vote with their dollars, if they truly cared, wouldn’t they only buy secondhand? Or wouldn’t they be spending more money to only buy sustainable products. Because we both know that sustainability is often more expensive to produce properly.
Cynthia: Look, I deal in aspirations. I have to believe people want better. I’m speaking to my tribe of people who want better food, better products for their children, better plastics that they bring into their homes – whatever they can be educated about and that’s within their control. I think that’s all we can ask for.
And I aspire to speak to people who care more. I have to believe people want something better for themselves, for the environment, and for their footprint.
Fashion is in a place where you have to believe you can make a difference. Whatever your cause is, you have to believe you can change people. Whether they want to feel taller, look more confident, want guidance on how to present themselves. You have to believe that people will want to make sure they’re doing good for themselves and for the world.
Jamie: Given everything that’s in the news lately, what do you hope people understand differently about Everlane a year from now?
Cynthia: I hope people realize we stayed very true to the original pillars of the business. And all of the speculation and assumptions were just wild. People want to believe the sky is falling. You can’t really do anything but a year from now look back and say, “Did anything really change?”
I’m just going to put my head down, do the best I can do, hold the line, and take the opportunity I’ll be given to do that.
“Look, I deal in aspirations. I have to believe that people want better.“
ON LIFE’S CHAPTERS
Jamie: What are you working on right now? Do you have any fun projects or collaborations in the works?
Cynthia: I think we’re going to spend a little time recalibrating. We need to give the brand a big hug. I think about it the same way I think about my daughters. Sometimes I literally hug them and ask, “What do you want tomorrow? What do you want to do in life? What are you going to do with this opportunity?”
Between you and I working together, nothing has really changed. You know, it’s really just a different problem, a different place and a different time. And I think that’s where you and I are constantly building opportunities, building different roads and saying “take these paths, these are your choices”. It’s the unfortunate brand that chooses not to take any path, but to stay on the safe road.
Jamie: And it reminds me of what you did in your 20s and the way you talk to your daughters. You pick a path, but you can always pivot. It doesn’t mean it’s your path forever.
Cynthia: Exactly. I think about life in chapters of twenty years instead of thinking that everything is forever. The old model of career loyalty doesn’t really exist anymore. There isn’t a gold watch waiting for you at retirement. So I tell my daughters to give themselves grace. Think about life in chapters. Invest in yourself during those chapters. Then reflect and reassess what you want for the next 20. It’s not one goal to age 65. Those are monetary goals. So I tell my girls, “Give yourself windows to make change.”
Jamie: It’s funny you say that in terms of 20 years. One of the reasons I started Vetted was because my mom passed away at 65. I was in my early forties and started thinking, “What if I only have twenty years left? Do I want to just keep thinking about this?” I don’t think you or I have a fear of failure. We try something, and it either works or it’s a learning experience.
Cynthia: That’s the healthiest way to approach life. You really have to ask yourself: What’s the worst thing that can happen? Is it your bruised ego? Your fear of failure? You don’t know if you’re going to bounce back? Those are the things you have to address if you want to become less invested in the fear and more invested in the possibilities.
Jamie: That was a great quote! That’s an Oprah moment.
Cynthia: Ah! You can even have that mantra each day. There are days when you wake up and you’re so anxious about something. You’re thinking about the possibilities and thinking this can go really wrong. Before a major presentation, I think about all the ways something could go wrong. But am I going to stay in bed and live with anxiety, or am I going to push through? This is my perception, this is the best I can do because I truly believe this is the right path a year from now. A year from now! If I had a crystal ball, I’d play the lottery. It’s the best you can do with all the information you’ve been given.
Jamie: And then along the way, things surprise you.
Cynthia: All the time! There were highs and lows all day yesterday. But there was a really great high and I just said, “Girl, you still got it”. Now, let’s get back to the budget meeting.
“These are things you have to address if you want to become less invested in the fear and more invested in the possibilities.“
ON STAYING INSPIRED
Jamie: You’ve mentioned spending more time refilling your creative well lately. What does that look like?
Cynthia: We call it work-life balance, but it’s actually feeding your soul. Self love. When you’re constantly wringing out your soul for your intuition – be it for life, for work, for design, for creativity – you have to refill that well.
I recently went to see the Matisse exhibit at de Young, and then I’m going to see the Asian Art Museum. Then I hope to make it to New York because May through October, any time after the Met Gala through October, there are amazing shows.
I’ve also been rediscovering live music. I’ve been going to listening bars. I don’t always love jazz, but I do love blues. I like going to a coffee shop near me that has a live DJ. I miss just listening. Just being quiet with myself. So I’m entering that world of peace and doing the best I can to protect my peace. To refill my inspiration.
Jamie: I feel that way too. Live music always gives me energy.
Cynthia: Exactly. It’s an escape without the commitment of a vacation. You can step into another world for two or three hours, it can be transportive. You can really feel like you’ve gone somewhere.
Jamie: Have you been to any stores lately that have inspired you?
Cynthia: Dover Street Market in downtown LA really did that for me. I’ve been to almost every Dover Street in the world, but walking through the Los Angeles location where I spend so much of my time, I was like “this is what it’s about!”.
ON WHAT SHE’S WEARING
Jamie: What is your favorite piece at Everlane right now?
Cynthia: Oh wow, there are so many good ones.
Jamie: Mine is the red windbreaker hoodie. I featured it in my newsletter. I was shopping with two girlfriends, saw it in the window, walked in, and all three of us bought it.
Cynthia: Oh my God, I love that thing! It’s so good. We need to bring that back into a summer look.
Jamie: More colors please! I was wearing it this weekend and someone literally stopped me and said, “I need whatever you’re wearing.”
Cynthia: I love that. The one thing I own in every color is our cropped box-cut tee. I absolutely love it. I also love the new forever jersey shrunken crew (which dropped this summer). It’s inspired by a vintage concert tee from the 80s that only gets better with washing. I’ll probably own every color of that too. It’s my go-to white t-shirt, black t-shirt – basically my everyday uniform.
The other piece I love is our boxy cashmere crew. I’ve been wearing it in this citron yellow-green color and it’s my favorite thing right now. I own three or four colors. Somehow it barely pills. I’m obsessed with those two pieces. I’m always wearing them.
Jamie: When you create something like the box-cut tee or the cashmere crew, those become long-term winners…a brand’s pillars.
Cynthia: Exactly. The silhouettes may evolve a little bit. But once you have the right fabric, you can adjust the shape as trends evolve. We’ve always called these emerging styles “seeds.” They’re styles that are emerging and you just wait until the timing is right. There are customers that move faster, there are customers that move slower, and that’s fine. We’re just making sure we’re hearing our customer.
Jamie: You’ve talked a lot about creating products that last. What does that look like for you right now?
Cynthia: I want to keep things for a long time because they’re so well made. It thrills me when my daughter Clea goes through my old clothes from the early 2000s, my J. Crew pieces, and says “Mom, I want these.” And they’re still perfect, they were so well made. That’s the testament that things come around. They’re heirlooms. I want Everlane pieces to be that.
After we wrapped up – talking about cashmere again, of all things – I sat with the conversation for a while. What strikes me most about Cynthia isn’t the composure, though she has it in abundance. It’s that she means it. She means all of it: the transparency, the quality, the belief that fashion has the ability to change people for the better.
Whether Everlane can hold its values under Shein’s ownership is a question none of us can answer yet. Cynthia was careful about what she could say – there are legal realities and PR guardrails and things she genuinely can’t speak to publicly – and I respect that. What she did say, clearly, is that the brand’s values are her values and that she plans to stay true to that mission.
A year from now, she said, she hopes people look back and ask whether anything really changed. I don’t know the answer. I don’t have a crystal ball either. But I’m looking forward to finding out.
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