Instagram story viewer> @casey_dworkin> Posts
Casey Dworkin(@casey_dworkin)'s profile avatar Download

Casey Dworkin

@casey_dworkin

undefined
POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED
Download All
Got a little teary-eyed to find an editorial in @voguemagazine supporting how the fashion industry can change for the better when I spotted the Sylven New York “Empress” heels from a collection that never got released. My goal was always to help push forward a cleaner agenda for fashion through material use and innovation. I clearly still wax poetic about Sylven New York and the impact the brand had. Features like this one used to happen from time to time, but I think this may actually be my first Vogue US feature. And all it took was being closed for 1.5 years 😜 A gentle reminder that the shoes I once designed have a legacy that extends beyond their physical form. My work in advocacy for next gen materials and reduced emissions are as strong as ever. Thank you @bellawebb_ for this article and of course to @hakamme of @collectivefashionjustice featured here in this image and article for your tireless work across the industry. by @casey_dworkin
26
4 months ago
Download
NOT ALL NEXT-GEN MATERIALS FEEL THE SAME. After working with multiple bio-based and next-gen materials, our Director of Growth, Casey Dworkin, shares what truly stood out to her about ELEVATE, from a designer’s perspective. If you’re exploring materials that deliver high performance and a truly luxury look and feel, this is for you. 👉 Comment YES and we’ll send you more information about how to experience ELEVATE firsthand. #NextGenMaterials #UncagedInnovations #ELEVATE #BioBased by @casey_dworkin
2
4 months ago
Download
Species Unite just spent a few days in London at @biofabricate’s Biofab Fair, a celebration of biology-based technologies and the innovators behind them. These weren’t the usual alternatives to leather or plastic. Imagine a world where textiles aren’t manufactured from fossil fuels, animal skins, or even plants — but grown from microbes, mycelium, algae, and engineered proteins. There were fabrics brewed in vats, colors grown by living microbes, perfumes made with the DNA of extinct flowers, and leather-like sheets made from banana waste and mycelium. Each innovation not only reimagines what we wear and use, but also reshapes how we think about design, beauty, and even culture. After the fair, Biofab’s founder, Suzanne Lee and Species Unite’s founder, Elizabeth Novogratz, sat down to debrief — to talk about how far this movement has come, what’s next for biofabrication, and how growing the materials of the future might just change everything. Please listen and share via the link in our bio or www.speciesunite.com/podcast/suzanne-lee-grown-not-extracted 🎥 featuring @casey_dworkin of @uncagedinnovations taken in London by @casey_dworkin
3
10 months ago
Download
“After running a business for so long and then fielding the question of what’s next, something I’ve tried to do (and hope I’m still doing), is not just jumping into the next thing or believing that the next pivot has to feel permanent. Nothing has to be forever. Do things as long as they serve you. After running one company, people kept asking, “What are you founding next?” Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur but I needed to remind myself (and others) that it’s okay not to have it all figured out. I had all these avenues in front of me and didn’t know which path to choose. So I said: If I don’t know what I want to do next, I just don’t have enough information yet. That created space for exploration. You don’t have to make a decision. You don’t have to choose just one thing. Who knows where I’ll be a year from now? Right now, I’m taking a few paths at the same time. I’m trying things out. I’m experimenting. I feel like I’m back in college, figuring out what works for me. I wish I’d heard more “how I built it” stories, how people fundraised, bootstrapped, and navigated messy paths. My journey has had a lot of ebb and flow. I’m on a different path now, and I’m just enjoying the ride. It’s not easy but I’m like a little fish in the current, just moving with it.” (186.2) Casey Dworkin - Brand Strategy & Design for Conscious Companies | Next-Gen Materials Advocate | Adjunct Professor in Fashion & Creativity Casey Dworkin is a brand strategist, creative advisor, and former founder of sustainable footwear brand Sylven New York. She works with fashion, lifestyle, and next-generation material brands to build intentional identities and growth strategies rooted in values and design. In addition to her client work, she also teaches accessory design and creative process as an adjunct professor. Her work is fueled by a belief in conscious renewal, both in business and in self. 🔗Click the link in my bio to read the whole interview on the Habituelle Blog! #Womensupportingwomen #leadership #womeninbusiness #inspirationalwomen #habituelle #riseup taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by @casey_dworkin
0
a year ago
Download
To be honest, part of me (maybe the ego-driven part) worried that without the platform of Sylven New York, my voice might not matter as much. That without the brand, there’d be nothing to speak about. Even though I knew Sylven was an extension of me, not the other way around, this conversation marked a personal milestone: my first podcast interview post-Sylven, and a chance to share the continuation of my work, untethered from the brand. Huge thanks to @michellealleyneofficial for creating space for real, nuanced dialogue on @theethicalstitch . She’s pulling back the curtain and spotlighting what truly matters in this industry. The full episode is now live - listen through the link in Michelle’s bio or wherever you stream your podcasts. by @casey_dworkin
5
a year ago
Download
“Slowness is the thing I’m really challenging myself to practice in order to lead a life I love. Having access to nature is a big part of that, too. Coming from New York, where everything feels so reactive, my goal in life is to ask: how do I move as slowly as possible? How do I move with intention? How do I make space for a 15-minute walking break? Just to get out and look at the sky instead of the computer screen in front of me. Slowness is something I’m really trying to lean into. It’s not always easy.” (186.1) Casey Dworkin - Brand Strategy & Design for Conscious Companies | Next-Gen Materials Advocate | Adjunct Professor in Fashion & Creativity Casey Dworkin is a brand strategist, creative advisor, and former founder of sustainable footwear brand Sylven New York. She works with fashion, lifestyle, and next-generation material brands to build intentional identities and growth strategies rooted in values and design. In addition to her client work, she also teaches accessory design and creative process as an adjunct professor. Her work is fueled by a belief in conscious renewal, both in business and in self. 🔗Click the link in my bio to read the whole interview on the Habituelle Blog! #Womensupportingwomen #leadership #womeninbusiness #inspirationalwomen #habituelle #riseup taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by @casey_dworkin
4
a year ago
Download
Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Casey, I was born on Earth Day and today I turn 34 years old. I ran a beautiful and meaningful footwear brand called Sylven New York for 8.5 years which I closed at the of 2024. This account was dedicated to that brand, and I am proudly reclaiming it under my own name. Ive been asked a lot about what comes next, and I have been so fortunate to have multiple opportunities to continue on with my work. But I am also proud to say that I’m still figuring it out in real time. Back in August I was asked to be an Adjunct Professor at my Alma matter of @drexeluniv and I developed and taught a sustainable accessory design course with a focus on next-gen materials. I also teach the business of fashion and a design studio course at the @made_institute here in Philly. On top of teaching, I freelance and work with 2 incredible companies primarily - one in fine jewelry and the other in next-generation materials! Having my hand in so many different aspects of the fashion industry reminds me tremendously of being a founder. My brain and time are split, but my passion keeps me going. I’ll continue to share my mission, thoughts, and work, but mostly wanted to say hello, and that it’s okay for “the next thing” to be a bit nebulous. Happy Earth Day everyone. 💚💚 Also shoutout to @magpie_brain_ for the new headshots which I haven’t updated since 2017. It’s nice to feel like this next chapter is being captured in real time. by @casey_dworkin
55
a year ago
Download
I started this business with a mission, and I’m closing our doors with that mission still front and center. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of support, messages, check-ins, and final sale purchases!! Every emotion one can feel I am feeling, and while I’m so sad to stop making and selling shoes under this label, I am moving forward beaming with pride. Wishing you all a meaningful holiday season and year end. Let’s keep chasing our dreams, even when they feel insurmountable. by @casey_dworkin
25
2 years ago
Download
We may be closing our doors (long-winded post to follow) but there are still some amazing brands continuing and sharing our mission to make gorgeous fashion-forward styles with a focus on plant-based and ethical production. Slide 1 - @sentientthebrand Sentient is gorgeous handbag brand based in Mexico City built to replace animal leather with bio-based vegan alternatives. I personally own two different bags and a jacket from a previous collection and each piece is a knockout. They work with some of the most cutting-edge material partners on the planet and just launched a gorgeous new collection. Slide 2 - @bikkou_geneve If ever you saw our knee-high Strada boots worn by @jennaortega and wished you had a pair for yourself, these may be the next best option. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, I recently became acquainted with this brand and I think their styles are gorgeous and I love the materials they’re choosing. Slide 3 - @sans.beast Sans Beast is an Australian-based handbag and accessory brand that I think makes some of the best vegan bags on the market. They explore a variety of next-gen materials and they are definitely a brand to keep your eyes on. Slide 4 - @repriseactivewear Reprise makes plant-based activewear and I am proudly wearing their sports bra as I write this. Their pieces are not only super soft and comfy but are also so much better to wear while you’re sweating than plastic synthetics that dominate this category. Slide 5 - @brinn.studios Brinn is a handbag and accessories label constantly exploring art, design, and innovative materials. I recently acquired the bag pictured here and I get non-stop compliments on it. The bags are thoughtfully designed with incredible pockets (v important) and functionality. Slide 6 - @wearproclaim Proclaim is an inclusive nude undergarment brand who recently launched first of its kind plant-based shapewear. I am always so amazed at what this brand is building and their pieces feel amazing on the body and are so much better for your skin than plastic. - Please continue to champion brands at the forefront of innovation. Let’s support small and mid-sized companies run by true change makers. 💚 by @casey_dworkin
7
2 years ago
Download
We are so, so grateful that we are almost entirely sold out of the final Sylven pairs ever made. But we do have a select few sizes still available on our website and we are offering them for $100 each until we close our doors this Friday or until every single pair is claimed. Our hope is to find each pair a home, and we are calling upon our amazing community to engage with this post and share it to your stories and with your friends until every size of every style we have left on our site has been taken. Thank you for championing a better fashion industry with us! There’s still much more work to be done and even though our doors may be closing on Friday, there’s still a long and exciting road ahead. More to come 💚 by @casey_dworkin
0
2 years ago
Download
Twinning with my fav @richamoorjani. This pic was taken the first time Richa and I met in person more than two years ago. Richa is one of the kindest, most compassionate, and genuine people I’ve had the pleasure to meet on this journey. One of my biggest goals with Sylven was to launch a celeb-led campaign to help champion the planet and new innovative ways of leading the fashion industry forward. Richa was the obvious partner for me, and we actually shot an amazing campaign for the collection we never got the chance to launch. It’s such a bittersweet feeling knowing we got the opportunity to create together and yet the impact of that creation and the result remain hidden. That sums up so much of Sylven for me. This journey has been absolutely incredible and the unrealized potential and pent-up energy feel like they’re still bursting out of me. I hope to take that energy and apply it to my continued advocacy in this space, but I would be lying if I said it isn’t the hardest part of this whole journey. Even with all the emotion that comes with unrealized potential, there is still a huge part of me that is proud. I’m so proud that even if it didn’t reach the peak I aimed for, that I did still in fact achieve some of my biggest goals. And I met some of the most inspiring and supportive people in the process. by @casey_dworkin
12
2 years ago
Download
The first editorial shoot for Sylven New York. I remember we took the train from NYC to my parents house in southern New Jersey with plans to shoot at golden hour. I barely knew @hummusbirrd at the time, but we had many mutual friends in common and she was so supportive of my vision from the get go. @justinthebaptist was with us too shooting vibey video. We all laughed so hard this entire trip. I never was great behind a camera, but being the one to capture the image was so surreal. I envisioned this brand and watched it come to life. I’ve nurtured it and loved it, and now it’s time to say goodbye to it. We’ve got just over one week left before we close our doors and all our remaining pairs need to sell to help us close out. If you’ve ever wanted to own a pair of your own, everything was just marked down to $100, and only available for just a few more days. 💚 by @casey_dworkin
1
2 years ago
Download
×

Download all media on this page

Photos Videos
back to up