This week we chat with Louise Lazarus and Geo Moriarty, Co-Founders of the fashion label Cin Cin.
Welcome to the Emirates Woman weekly series ‘How I got my job as…’ where we speak to some incredible entrepreneurs and businesswomen both based in the UAE and globally to find out about their career paths that led them to where they are now; what their daily routines look like; the advice they’d give to those starting out; and the hurdles they’ve had to overcome.
As an ode to the 70’s jet set and a ‘more is more’ aesthetic, the Australian founders began their journey in print design, a process that has become their brand’s signature since its launch in 2019. With each collection, anticipated motifs and ‘troppo-graphic’ prints are released in vivid colour swim and resortwear, designed and produced in-house from start to finish. The brand is also available at Ounass and THAT Concept Store in Dubai.
To delve into their story, Emirates Woman spoke to the co-founders to see how their journey in the fashion world began.
What was your favourite subject at school?
GM: Art was my favorite. Less rules and more room to explore.
LL: Art. I loved the creative freedom and time away from textbooks.
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What was your first job?
GM: I was previously a Sales Assistant at a high-end clothing boutique when I was 14. It was a real insight into what women want, hearing all the feedback in the fitting rooms.
LL: I used to be a Sales Assistant at a swim/surf brand when I was 15. This was my first experience in retail, where I gained an introduction to swimwear brands and developed early skills in customer service and communication.
What brought you to Dubai?
GM: We discovered Dubai through connecting with our beloved UAE clientele. They’re women with discerning taste and are not afraid to wear vivid color or prints and layer pieces masterfully to create beautiful head-to-toe outfits.
What inspired you to enter the space and launch Cin Cin?
GM: After Lou and I decided to leave our previous job that didn’t light us up. We embarked on a a three months travel journey. We then returned home to a life that was a blank canvas essentially. The world was our oyster and our brains were so decompressed after travel that we connected through shared inspiration and this escalated quickly. So began the journey of learning how to make our first prints.
LL: Geo and I had just returned from a long trip, where the idea of starting a swimwear brand began to take shape—sparked by everything we’d seen and experienced during our travels across Europe. The thought of returning to a traditional office job just didn’t sit right. Our yin-and-yang dynamic worked effortlessly, and in December 2018, we took a leap of faith and launched our very first swim and resort wear collection.
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Talk us through the concept?
GM: Cin Cin is all about celebration, being named after the European toast to good health. It’s all about maximalism and a ‘more is more’ aesthetic. Our customer is not afraid to be bold, playful and is a fashion fanatic.
LL: Cin Cin is inspired by the celebratory spirit of the jet-set lifestyle. We saw a gap in the market for a ‘more is more’ aesthetic—bold, confident, and unapologetically sexy—drawing on retro graphic prints and head-to-toe statement looks.
What are the key elements of your role?
GM: As an emerging fashion brand we all wear so many hats. Design, product development, range planning, marketing, writing copy, liaising with the retail boutique team and the list goes on.
LL: As Geo mentioned, we all wear many hats! With a background in fashion and graphic design, I naturally found myself deeply involved in our print designs, colour palettes, and overall branding. I also help manage our team, oversee range planning and design, and developing creative concepts, among many other things.
Talk us through your daily routine.
GM: At the moment I’m woken up around 5am by the rescue puppies I have and enjoy my morning tending to them and getting ready for a day at the office. I ride my motorcycle to our nearby studios and will spend the day there and next door at our production facility. Being based in Bali is a unique lifestyle – we’re so blessed to be able to be on the ground and so hands on with our staff.
LL My mornings start with early cuddles from my three-year-old, which is honestly the best way to wake up. We get up and make breakfast together, and I’ve been really enjoying a Matcha Latte— either before or after a gym workout, depending on the day. I usually head into the office for meetings or work from home, depending on how the day is unfolding.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to follow in the same footsteps?
GM: Practical studies like fashion illustration, sewing and pattern making have informed so much of my knowledge when developing designs on and off the body, but really, I’d say that anyone’s pursuit of fashion needs to be a labour of love because the rag trade can be tough. Don’t expect overnight success.
LL: If you decide to start your own brand—amazing! It’s an exciting journey, but one you need to take seriously if you see it as your long-term career path. It’s not for the faint- hearted, and I highly recommend partnering with someone you trust. Doing it solo can be daunting, and having someone to bounce ideas off and grow alongside makes a huge difference. Don’t give up when things get tough—there will be mistakes, but there will also be so many rewards along the way.
Tell us more about the pieces?
GM: Ruching, cut-outs, tiers, glimmering gold hardware are some of the elements you’ll find on our pieces. We are like kids in a candy store when designing and love to satisfy the different facets of our fashion tastes.
LL: Daring, bold, glamorous, and unapologetically adventurous. Our signature statement cut-outs, adorned with custom gold hardware, are designed to turn heads. Cin Cin is your go-to, head-to- toe brand for your next vacation or event.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
GM: To ‘zoom out’ for a new perspective as it’s easy to get lost. Also, listen to your intuition, this is equally as important in business as it is in life.
LL: The best piece of advice I’ve received is: don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s so easy to get caught up in the little things, especially when you’re juggling work, life, and everything in between. But with time, I’ve learned that most problems and challenges are temporary. They pass, and often they teach you something valuable along the way.
And what is the worst?
GM: I feel like it’s worth noting here that as a business owner you are thrown advice from everyone and every corner possible. Everyone has an opinion from the sidelines and it’s important to be extremely selective with the advice you listen to.
LL: Stop listening to everyone around you and start tuning into your own intuition. If something doesn’t feel right—it usually isn’t. The more you learn to listen to that inner voice, the stronger it becomes. Outside opinions can be helpful, but no one knows your vision, your values, or your instincts better than you do.
What’s the biggest challenge you have had to overcome?
LL: One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been moving to new countries and constantly having to start over—adapting to new cultures, building new friendships, and finding my place all over again. It’s a journey that takes time, patience, and resilience. There have been plenty of ups and downs along the way, but each experience has shaped me, helped me grow, and taught me the value of adaptability and inner strength
What’s lies ahead for the brand?
GM: Bricks and mortar retail expansion is important to us as we love being able to provide an experiential element to the brand. We have exciting collaborations and product ranges planned for this year – you’ll just have to wait and see.
LL: Exciting things are on the horizon! We’re expanding our retail presence globally, launching a kidswear range, introducing loungewear, and growing our accessories and overall product offering. It’s an incredible time of growth, and we can’t wait to share what’s next.
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