We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cassandra Casas Rojas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassandra, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

We find inspiration in womanhood. An integration of empowerment and comfort. Our goal is to support her as she evolves through life. We create apparel that will rise to the most prestigious events, without having to sacrifice the comfort she needs for those long days. She loves the idea of a tailored suit, but she wishes she had a more comfortable option–that’s why we exist. We have taken her tailored staples and created them in the most comfortable fabrics. We plan to disrupt tailored algorithm and create our own perspective.

Cassandra, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Cassandra Casas Rojas, 27, January 3rd 1995

I was born in Monterrey, Mexico. I am one of 3, the middle child. I moved to the United States when I was 2 years old. I grew up in a small town, Dinwiddie, in Virginia. I grew up in dance and cheerleading, I like to think these sports taught me discipline and the results of hard work. Honestly, I didn’t know I wanted to pursue fashion until my junior year of high school. Being that I grew up in a small town, I only ever heard about the common jobs – a teacher, a police officer, a doctor, a nurse, etc. So, I chose to pursue becoming a doctor. I did everything I was “supposed” to do to get into a top school. I made the grades, took all AP courses, held leadership roles (class president + head cheer captain), I had a plan. Junior year came and college applications began to get serious. I am first generation, so this was very important, I had to make it count. I had 2 little bunnies as pets when I was a junior in high school. One day after school I came back and noticed that one of them had passed away. It was in this moment that I realized I did not want to pursue the medical field, you see I wanted to be surgeon, so when my bunny passed away, I said to myself, “How will I ever be able to tell a family member a loved one passed?” It was in this moment that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I always had a passion for the arts, but never once thought about pursuing a career in the arts. One day I looked at myself in the mirror and thought to myself, “Hmm where does my clothes comes from? People wear clothes every day, what job opportunities exist behind my clothes?” And so, it began. Of course, I quickly realized that fashion universities didn’t care about having the best GPA nor who took the most AP courses, they wanted to see talent, passion for the industry, and I was passionate, but I had nothing to show for. I knew my studies could get me into a top fashion school, and I knew to catch up to everyone else I would have to go to the best of the best and at the beginning work harder. I knew I was competing with students who had dreamed of becoming fashion designers their whole life, they’d been working towards this goal over the years –sewing classes, drawing classes, etc. then here I was someone who knew absolutely nothing about the fashion industry and one day just woke up and decided “I want to be a fashion designer.”

I graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design with minors in Marketing + Entrepreneurship.

I feel like I’m almost a natural with fashion. I am constantly thinking about the vision. I am obsessed with the industry. To be successful in this industry you must eat, breathe, and truly live in it. When I took my first class, it was rough. Let’s just say I’ve come a long way, but in that moment, even though I was probably the least talented/skilled in my class, I could still envision myself 5 years later. I knew that if I worked hard and dedicated myself, that I could become one of the most talented in my class. They say if you can see it, you can be it, since then I’ve never looked back.

What inspires my work as a designer: Honestly, I believe in innovation, and reinventing the future to truly be timeless. I like to combine things that aren’t spoken of. With my brand, my whole thing is the evolution of the women suit, a women suit is known to be tailored, built in woven fabrics, but why can’t it be comfortable, and still feel like the look rises to the occasion, why can’t the idea of the women suit be reinvented? No one says it can’t be, it just hasn’t been done. As a designer I seek to impact. I want to be remembered as a designer who didn’t see barriers and had a talent to combine elements that never once lived together.

I have a few big accomplishments that have gotten me to where I am today:

– My first china competition in 2017 – my first collection to go international, Mexican heritage inspired. 6 evening looks that I made in 2 months –at the same time that I was starting my senior thesis. https://www.cassandracasas.com/internationalexposure
– My Senior Thesis – it went global –China (Beijing + Shanghai), New Zealand, United States, competed across the best of the bet and won. https://www.cassandracasas.com/globalseniorthesiscollection
– Becoming a published designer –gLOBAL lived in New Zealand for a year in an exhibition and was published in a celebration of 20 years of fashion in Dunedin.
– Starting my own brand: https://casasrojas.co/
– NYFW and New Orleans Fashion Week in 2021

If you go to my business website, under “Journal” you will also see a few blogs that I wrote about my business and how I got started: https://casasrojas.co/blogs/news

Also if you google my name “Cassandra Casas Rojas” several articles will come up! In case you need more information, there is a lot to pull from :)

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Reflecting back on establishing the foundation of my brand and the struggles that came with that, I wanted to throw in the towel many times, honestly I still go through those waves, but it’s definitely part of the journey. It’s going to get tough, and the more success you experience it’ll get tougher. Here is a little story about one of those moments:

I am in a moment of growth + transition w CasasRojas. I am coming up on my 1 year (I can’t believe it). It feels surreal and although the future looks bright, it can also be a lot at once. They say, “Don’t pray for something that you’re not ready to receive,” and it’s true. You HAVE to do the prep work. I recently shared that I transitioned all my handling to Monterrey, Mexico. In theory, yes everything is being handled there, but right now I am at a 90% battery strength, and I am working at getting it to a solid 130%, but it requires patience and consistency. I have learned that the foundation of your business is the most important aspect of your business. It is the core of how the business will grow. The strength of the core will set the tone for the years to come. If I have learned anything in these past 2 months is an emphasis on “Trust your path,” “Do the work, and the rest will show up,” and “Patience is everything. When you’re 2 steps from possibly taking that big leap, stay patient and don’t crack too soon. Be patient.” So, ok what makes up my core: my manufactures, my vendors, my relationships, and my reason for CCR. I am currently working hard to build my team.

I consider CCR – Ready to Wear, but with a taste of Designer. When it comes to my manufacturers, I need both reliable mass market manufacturers, but also, reliable seamstresses, talented seamstresses, who can support me for NYFWs and exclusive design launches, giving me the freedom to control my minimums and truly produce unique items because it would be sewn by one individual. Giving a sense of personality to each piece. Both are needed for my business. In Mexico, many women make a living from making school uniforms. These ladies are skilled seamstresses, the best of the best, use to working from home, and delivering 30-50 pieces every 2 weeks. I know this because my mother was one of them. When I started CCR I had an idea of what I wanted it to mean to the people, but I’d be lying if I said I had every little detail figured out –because I didn’t. What I’m saying is –go for it, whatever is that you want in life, just start. And I promise, as long as you stay consistent and true to yourself, the rest will unfold. You don’t have to have your full story written out to start, just make up your mind what is it that you want and work hard to fulfill it.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Being comfortable/confident enough to share your story(s) to social media platforms is key. What really helped me was my background and my experience. I had a really good last year in college. I was able to travel across the world with my senior thesis and be surrounded with a lot of incredible designers from across the world. Nothing that has happened to me was part of the plan. As I kept experiencing small wins, I began to really get a feel that people liked my designs. I have been sharing my experiences on social media, and the love and support that people have given me has only pushed me to really go for it. After I went to New Zealand in 2019, I began to get phone calls about fashion weeks. This is where my tough year comes into play. You see, I was getting these phone calls because people were starting to ask who Cassandra Casas Rojas was, but I didn’t know, at the time, who I really wanted the world to view me as. I was like “Okay, I get there, do great, then what?” “What if people want orders?” “What is the point of getting to that spot, and not be able to move forward?” These questions tormented me because I felt very fortunate, but also a lot of pressure. It made me really ask myself “Who am I and what do I want the world to see me as?” Without people you have nothing. I think being genuine and speaking confidently/comfortably about my journey is why people follow and I’m so thankful for that. All my growth has happened organically. Me slowly building my audience, feeding them curiosity, giving them something to hang on to. I think that is key when you are trying to build an image to the world, you need to make sure you know who you are before you try to tell the world who you are.

Contact Info:

• Website: Personal: https://www.cassandracasas.com/aboutme (this page is under construction, but still accessible) Business: https://casasrojas.co/blogs/news
• Instagram: Personal: la_casas Business: _casasrojas
• Facebook: Cassandra Casas Rojas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-casas-rojas-59096aba/

Image Credits
Photographers: Kelsey Coste: @visualsocietystudio Drake Boudreaux: @studio_bou Makeup/Hair: Emily Kiefer: Makeup, @emilykieferbeauty Gerald William: Hair, @geraldwilliam_hair Sydney Staehle: Hair, @sydstaehle Corrie Vitcory: Makeup, @victoryartistry