Currently Bookmarking: Cydney Morris

The art of evolving without losing yourself

For this edition of Currently Bookmarking, I’m sitting down with someone I’ve admired for a very long time: Cydney Morris, or Cyd as many of us know her.

I’ve known Cyd for the last 10+ years. First as a fan of Stone Cold Fox, the brand that defined an era of cool-girl dressing for so many of us, and later as a friend. Our sons were born just a couple months apart, and somewhere between mom group texts, playdates, and the beautiful chaos of early motherhood, I got to know her on a much more personal level.

Beyond the romantic dresses, layered homes, and impeccable taste, Sid is someone I deeply admire as a creative, a designer, a mother, and a friend. She’s thoughtful, wildly creative, deeply resilient, and has one of those unmistakable points of view that extends far beyond fashion.

If you follow her Substack, Dog-Eared , you already know what I mean. It’s equal parts style diary, emotional honesty, beauty recommendations, travel notes, and the kind of beautifully specific observations that make you feel like you’re sitting across from a friend with really good taste.

In this conversation, we talk about the legacy of Stone Cold Fox, motherhood, evolving creatively, building brands, staying inspired, reinvention, and how she protects her perspective in a world that constantly asks us to overshare.

Needless to say, I’ve been really excited about this one.

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For anyone discovering you through this feature, how do you describe what you do right now?

CYD: Well, been in a few phases and career paths throughout my life but all in all I consider myself a bit of a “tastemaker”. I am first and foremost a designer of women’s clothing, then a Substack-er, some would say influencer but I don’t really like that word, a Mom and an all around creator.

You’ve built such a distinct point of view over the years, whether that’s through fashion, interiors, beauty, travel, and now Dog-Eared . And it all feels very you. I’m curious, did that perspective always feel clear to you, or is it something that’s really evolved over time?

CYD: My point of view has definitely evolved over time — who I was in my 20s looks very different from who I am now as a mother and wife. Life shifts you. But through all of it, I’ve always come back to the same thing: authenticity. I truly believe that being true to yourself is what makes a design feel right, a space feel warm, or a piece of writing actually resonate.

I’ll be honest — I have a bit of a fear of getting left behind as the world changes. So I stay curious, I pay attention, I evolve. But I never change who I am. My parents raised me to work for everything — nothing was handed to me, and I think that shaped me more than anything else. I’ll be the first to admit I’m terrible with numbers, but I am deeply motivated by financial independence. Especially after having kids. I want a beautiful home, great schools for my children, incredible trips — I want to order a cocktail with an extra shot and not think twice about it. That drive is real and I strive to be comfortable since there is so much more I want to do and see.

I love what you said there about evolving without changing who you are because I do think when people think of you, there’s such a strong sense of aesthetic and identity attached to your work. Which makes me want to go back for a second, because Stone Cold Fox really defined an era for so many women. When you think about the brand today, what still feels the most true to its original spirit, and what’s changed in the best way?

CYD: I started Stone Cold Fox in 2009 — it came directly from my graduate runway show at California College of the Arts, and people were trying to buy the pieces straight off the models. I always struggled a bit in school to get teachers to like my ideas so it blew my mind. The timing was wild in the best way. We were in the middle of a recession, and online retail was just finding its footing — Revolve, Free People, all of it was just beginning. There was a real gap in the market for what I was making, and I was just a girl in her early 20s designing exactly what she wanted to wear.

What’s changed is me. I’ve grown out of some of those styles naturally, and I’ve had to learn how to design for my current self, my younger self, and other women too. It’s a challenge I’ve really grown into — stepping outside of yourself creatively is hard, but it’s pushed me in the best way. What’s stayed the same is the spirit. The aesthetic, the point of view — it’s held. There have been real ups and downs over 15 years, and moments where I’ve wanted to walk away from fashion entirely. But every time I come back to the creative work, the passion is still there. That part has never wavered.

I love hearing you talk about Stone Cold Fox because it really has grown alongside you in so many ways. And you’ve always been so good at designing from instinct and personal taste. You’ve said before that so much of your inspiration starts with what you personally want to wear, so I have to ask: what are you really drawn to lately? Silhouettes, fabrics, colors, references, all of it.

CYD: I am a lace girl through and through — eyelets, crochet, vintage lace. Something about it just gets me going. I’m always drawn to the Victorian era and 1960s original “it girls” and I’m constantly trying to find ways to modernize it, make it feel fresh without losing that romance.

I design around a character — I picture a girl, what she’s wearing, where she’s traveling to that spring, what her home looks like, how she moves through the world. And from there everything flows. Airy fabrics, silks, georgettes — things that move with your body. SCF has always had a bit of a sexy quality to it, but in a way that feels uniquely feminine rather than obvious. Honestly, right now I feel like I’m returning to my roots — in design and in life. Getting back to what drew me to this in the first place

Okay, I love this answer because I feel like with you it’s never just about clothes. There’s always a whole world attached to them. The girl, the place, the feeling, the home she lives in. Your taste feels incredibly intuitive, but also very lived-in and layered. Outside of fashion, what do you think has shaped your eye the most?

CYD: I have to credit my grandmother. She had impeccable taste — in clothing, in homes, in gardens — and she did it all before the internet or Pinterest existed. She paid attention to the most minute details and she taught me that my whole life. The way she put colors and prints together, the way she made a house feel warm and lived-in. She always smelled like gardenias, her button covers were hand engraved, and her house always had a pot of coffee brewing. The way holidays felt in her world will be forever engraved in me, every inch of her home was decorated with some detail.

She’s the reason I understand that design isn’t just one category — it’s the entire sensory story. I don’t like new shiny things. I love things that tell a story, that have history, that have flaws — and somehow in my little world, they all go together.

I actually love hearing that because suddenly so much of your world makes sense to me. The nostalgia, the romance, the attention to detail. And honestly, I feel like that same point of view has translated so beautifully into Dog-Eared too. What made you want to start writing on Substack, and what does that format give you that Instagram never really could?

CYD: This actually isn’t my first time doing this — back in 2009 I had a blog called Viciously Cyd, where I’d share images of things I loved and write about my travels. It was Pinterest before Pinterest existed.

I’m quite an introverted person. Writing and expressing myself through fashion are really my ways of being present in the world. I’ve never been loud and proud online — it makes me a little uncomfortable, probably some fear of judgment. But the older I get, the more I feel like I have things worth sharing. Life stories, advice, perspective. I still get a bit nervous to completely open up, but I care less and less.

When Substack started to become a real space for this kind of writing, I was genuinely excited to get back to it. Instagram is beautiful but Substack lets you go deeper. You can actually get into subjects deeper.

I still don’t do TikTok though.

Wow…. #tbt to Viciously Cyd. That makes total sense, and I think that’s probably why Dog-Eared resonates with so many people. It feels really personal without trying too hard, if that makes sense. When you actually sit down to write, do you know exactly what kind of post it’s going to be, or is it more mood-driven depending on where you are in life?

CYD: Completely mood driven. I’m trying to be more organized with recurring content — monthly shops, consistent write-ups — but mostly I write about whatever is happening in my life. Where I traveled, what I’m feeling, the ebbs and flows of emotions. It’s all very cathartic for me.

I love the beauty industry and I’m still coming to terms with getting older — and I think so many women feel the same way. There’s something really powerful about sharing what you’re actually trying to feel your best.

I shared my fertility journey about a year ago and I swear it was like thousands of hours of therapy condensed into one piece of writing for me. The amount of women who reached out to me afterward with their own stories — that connection with others made me less alone in my losses and want to keep being open to help in any way I can.

I used to gatekeep everything. My finds, my style my beauty secrets. But then I realized people were building real businesses by sharing exactly that, and I thought, why not me? I love to shop, plan parties, renovate homes, travel. I might as well share it and build something from it. Something that lets me pick my kids up from school and also be creative at the same time. Mixing passion with a business is just doing what you love — but with a roof over your head.

I really relate to what you said there, especially around sharing things that actually feel meaningful versus just posting to post. You’ve built brands in public for such a long time now, and the internet feels so different than it did even five years ago. Has your relationship to sharing online changed, especially now that it feels like everyone is expected to turn their entire life into content?

CYD: It’s so different now. Some people are incredibly good at sharing every aspect of their life and I think that’s great — but it’s not for me. I like to give bits and pieces and keep certain things close to my heart. There are judgmental people out there who can twist and turn a story, and I’ve learned to be mindful of that.

When it comes to my marriage, we have really grown into a great team. He supports me and my wild life, I support him and his dreams, and we just don’t get in each other’s way, its a really beautiful and loving partnership I should probably share more about.

With the kids it’s something I contemplate about a lot. I know everyone is blocking their children’s faces online and I get it — but I’m also so proud of them. I created these two little humans and they make my heart burst. I don’t share their struggles publicly, but I have no shame in sharing the funny, stylish little moments we have day to day.

One thing I’ve always admired about you is that you’ve never felt overexposed online. You share enough to feel connected, but there’s still a little mystery there, which honestly feels rare these days. What helps you reconnect with your own taste when you’re feeling oversaturated by everyone else’s?

CYD: People used to frustrate me when they would copy an aesthetic or design. Then I learned that’s just the way of the world — you have to keep thinking of the next thing. Keep your mind moving, don’t get stuck in one place.

I think mystery is very sexy. I have had a whole bag of personal drama — but that’s my load to carry with my inner circle. Give me a martini or two and a dark bar and I’ll tell you my life story, though. At the end of the day I just want to keep my online presence light and positive. Share my insights on travel, fashion, and motherhood — and let people know they’re not alone.

I love that perspective because I do think there’s something to constantly evolving instead of getting stuck in one version of yourself. And you’ve had so many creative chapters over the years — Stone Cold Fox, interiors, The Foxalow, Dog-Eared, collaborations under your own name. Do they each satisfy a different part of you creatively?

CYD: So many chapters — and honestly, I read somewhere that people need a new creative path every ten years and I completely believe it.

I love fashion deeply, but when I bought my house in 2017 it struck a chord in me the same way fashion always had. I love buying vintage clothes and tailoring them to fit exactly how I want — so why couldn’t I do that with a home? Interiors ended up being one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. I learned so much, and I got to work with Margot Robbie on multiple projects which was just incredible. It helped me discover another passion within myself that I didn’t know was there.

I don’t do interiors as much anymore — I had some unfinished business to get back to — but I’m always drawn to a new challenge. A new brand, a new theme, a new party to plan. Where I really thrive is in the beginning — starting with an idea, developing it, getting lost in the small details, and telling a complete story.

I just finished my Dillard’s collaboration and it really took it out of me, so I’m resting for a moment. But in the back of my mind I’m already thinking — what’s next!?”

You can really tell how much you love the beginning stages of building something, which honestly feels very you. And speaking of new chapters, you recently launched work under your own name as well. Did that feel emotionally different than designing for Stone Cold Fox? More personal, more freeing, more vulnerable?

CYD: It was amazing — and honestly, the timing was unexpected. Dillard’s reached out right after the fires in the Palisades, and emotionally I was pretty fragile. I didn’t think I could take on anything more. But when I moved, something shifted in my mindset completely. I told myself not to say no to anything. Just keep going.

So I said yes, and it ended up being such a freeing experience. Designing under my own name felt different — I went back to my roots and I had a really great time doing it. When I’m given something to do, I go at it with everything I have.

I also think about the bigger picture a lot. What is my ten year plan? I need to nurture my own name — not just the brand. Stone Cold Fox will always be where I started and I know that. I love to try new things. Some are lucrative, some aren’t. Mistakes are made often — but I take a lesson from every single one.

You’ve always been so good at creating a feeling around things. When you’re creating, what matters more to you: the piece itself or the world around it?

CYD: I think of how the entire outfit works together. It usually starts with a piece I love or have saved — and everything else becomes an ornament to it. The hair, the jewelry, the shoes. They all serve that one special piece.

With collections it’s the same instinct but scaled up. After doing this for so long I know how to merchandise intuitively. How do I design things so that when a customer discovers the launch, they don’t just want one piece — they want three? How do the pieces talk to each other? What story do they tell together? That’s the puzzle I’m always solving but it all starts with a little scene in my head.

Your style has always felt feminine and romantic, but never too precious. What makes something feel beautiful to you now?

CYD: I just dress in what I like and what feels comfortable. Over time I’ve learned what works on my body and what doesn’t — and my skin, my health, how I feel, all of that matters more to me now than ever before. The older I get, the less I try to force some appearance and the more I’ve come to appreciate who I am and what comes to me naturally.

Someone once said to me, ‘you are so put together but you let your kids be completely feral’ — and I think that actually describes my style perfectly. Type A and little granola earthy girl underneath.

There’s something really freeing about getting older and settling into what actually feels like you. What are you craving more of in this season of life creatively? More expansion, more quiet, more experimentation, more editing?

CYD: I always change, I love to go for it and exhaust my self, then check out for a little bit and get centered. I get burnt out but also love going really hard. I know that I won’t be this young forever so I try to take advantage of my energy and my life as much as I can so I can rest later- hopefully.

In the future I would love to do something with kids clothes, well see. I also have a deep desire to get back into homes. After selling my house then the fires, I have this really strong need to be grounded, create history, tradition and a home that my kids always come back to. I’m a little of tired of picking up and moving so much I want to make every inch of a home ours soon.

You’ve always had such a distinct point of view. How do you protect your taste from trends or outside noise?

CYD: There’s a fine line between staying true to yourself and staying open to the world moving around you. You can be aware of where the world is going without following it blindly.

Inspiration for me never really comes from trends anyway. It comes from the je ne sais quoi of Jane Birkin, the way an elderly woman puts her look together, a vintage fabric, a feeling I got walking through a town in Italy. None of those were my original thoughts — but what I do with them, how I interpret what they made me think or feel, that’s where my point of view lives.

Speaking of evolving, motherhood, moving, rebuilding — has this chapter changed the way you design or what you want to create?

CYD: I really feel the shift in energy as the years go by. Not my body or my mind but I feel i’ve just “graduated” if that makes sense. I’ve done the career chasing, the newborn phase, big losses and big gains. I’ve had to start over many times so I feel like I am seasoned and it feels okay.

In one way it’s bittersweet — I want to freeze time with my children and live in it forever. But the older I get, the more at peace I am. With who I am, what I look like, what I’m doing, the friends I have or don’t have. It all starts to settle into place.

It’s taken me nearly 40 years to get here and there were big mountains to climb along the way. But when it all starts to make sense- comes peace.

You’ve built such a recognizable point of view over time. What’s one thing people misunderstand about having great taste or building a personal brand?

CYD: I think people assume that being creative means you can do it all yourself. Having ideas is one thing — executing them, building something real from them, that’s another entirely. You need a team. You need people around you who help take you to the next level. Having a brand also doesn’t mean you have a big financial backing- so many start from the ground up with not much support. Starting a company or a new idea is a really vulnerable process. It’s easy to critique someone who is out there trying but It’s much harder to be the one actually doing it.

I also would have died for a mentor in my younger years. Someone older, wiser, willing to share what they knew. I didn’t really have that — so I try to show up that way for younger women now as much as I can even though I still feel like I am sorting my own out.

What are you most excited about right now, whether that’s work-related or something completely personal?

CYD: Summer! I do not do well in cold weather — I am a sun chaser through and through. My kids are doing the most amazing camps and I’m genuinely a little jealous, they sound so fun.

We have some trips planned that I’m really looking forward to, and I’m excited to keep nurturing new relationships in my life. Spending more time on my friendships, nurturing myself as my kids get older and more independent. There’s a version of me that’s just starting to have her own space back and I want to lean into that. Also, my parents — spending more time with them as they get older feels really important right now.

As for what’s next — who knows what’s in the stars. Maybe another baby. Maybe not but I don’t really have a plan and I am learning to sit with that with my type A personality.

Because this is Currently Bookmarking: what are you bookmarking lately? Could be brands, books, beauty products, hotels, places, people, fabrics, chairs, anything.

CYD: I love Medicube eye cream, I put this on all day and it’s so soft and amazing. Sitting at a restaurant bar alone with no phone when you have an hour to kill, Etsy always, the color Tallow from Farrow and Ball, sitting in my warm car with a podcast, Palm Heights in Caymans number one fan, beets, eyelash tinting no mascara, Homes and Gardens, therapy, co sleeping, boats, blue and white everything….mandarins with lime and mint, Montecito, french doors, long hugs, prints on prints.

Last one: what’s something you’re into right now that feels very niche, very specific, and very you?

CYD: Im getting very into sequins, hand writing my calendar, Violetta’s Bisou Balm, long wordy birthday cards, fancy water, colored marble, no nail polish , pinky rings, kim chee, delphiniums, really nice french champagne, mahjong, floral couches, vintage cause I like that no one else has it, reading a book and getting too emotionally involved.

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There’s something really comforting about talking to women who have lived through multiple versions of themselves and come out the other side softer, wiser, and more grounded in who they are.

What I loved most about this conversation with Cyd is that underneath all of the beautiful things, the fashion, interiors, travel, and impeccable taste, there’s a through line of authenticity. A willingness to evolve without abandoning yourself. To romanticize life while also being deeply honest about the harder seasons. To care about beauty, ambition, motherhood, creativity, and still admit you’re figuring it out as you go. Maybe that’s what great taste actually is. Not perfection, but perspective.

And if you’re wondering what to bookmark from this conversation: therapy, Palm Heights, vintage lace, handwritten calendars, fancy water, and maybe a reminder that reinvention is always allowed.