Designer and entrepreneur, Cheyann Benedict, has spent the past 5 years traveling the world to find inspiration for her newly launched namesake brand. Between road tripping across the us, to impulsively traveling through Asia, Cheyann has cultivated an authentic and specific point of view. This experiential shift has flowed into all aspects of her life from her home, personal style, and business practices. Her designs come from an honest approach that reaches beyond trends. 

“I became so inspired by my experiences, that I wanted to develop a “lifestyle brand” where the brand doesn’t create a lifestyle for a women, but instead, the pieces fit easily into the style she has created for herself,” says the designer.

Benedict is best known for her previous clothing line, C&C California. In 2003 herself and close friend Claire Stansfield launched the iconic Tee shirt company. Their thin, soft and layer-able tee shirts were the first of it’s kind and became an overnight success. At just 3 months old the line was featured on Oprah’s “Favorite Things for Spring” episode and just a few months later was showcased in the Visa small-business commercial. The duo sold C&C California in 2005 to Liz Claiborne, just 2 years after debuting their first collection.

Cheyann attributes her overall design philosophy to her Cherokee background as well as the years she spent watching the sunset from the cliffs near her childhood beach home in San Diego.

“Those saturated colors—the intense blues, greens and yellows—are all part of my kinetic sense-memory. Native artisanship also triggers something in me that makes me want to create things that energize, that have spirit, and which make women feel good about themselves.”

Authenticity, spirit and dignity are three driving principles behind Cheyann’s work as a designer. She has consciously incorporated these concepts into every aspect of her brand. Her eponymous line includes denim, leather and suede offerings, silk dresses, tops and bottoms, locally milled knit Tee Shirts and locally hand-knitted sweaters. Each silhouette is crafted from beautiful high-quality fabrics.  All her pieces are 100% respectfully made in the USA. “I am continuing my journey,” says Benedict. “I am all about taking care of my neighbors.”