Even Cupcakes and Cashmere's Emily Schuman Hates Everything in Her Closet Sometimes
Nearly 10 years ago, former Teen Vogue and AOL staffer Emily Schuman combined her love of fashion, food and beauty to launch her website Cupcakes and Cashmere, which combined all her passions into one cohesive place. Fast forward five years, and the entrepreneur had published her first book Cupcakes and Cashmere: A Guide for Defining Your Style, Reinventing Your Space, and Entertaining with Ease (which went on to be a bestseller), followed by another titled Cupcakes and Cashmere at Home. By 2015, the blogger expanded her brand to include a full-fledged clothing and home line sold everywhere from Nordstrom to Shopbop to Bloomingdales.
Now, Schuman’s expanding her Cupcakes and Cashmere empire one step further yesterday, the officially expanded the lifestyle brand to include an e-commerce site, dedicated to providing her more than one million readers with fashion, home and gift options carefully curated to fulfill their needs.
“When it comes to shopping, I feel like it should be something easy and fun, since everyone leads such busy, chaotic lives balancing so much stuff,” Schuman told PeopleStyle. “I really wanted an experience that is like one of your best friends telling you, I just bought this top’ or These are the best nesting bowls.'”
PeopleStyle sat down with the well-coiffed mastermind herself to learn everything about her newest business venture, how she makes time to put together cute outfit while running after a toddler and more!
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This must have been a long time in the making!
I can’t believe it’s actually here because this has been in the works for almost 10 years now. Launching e-commerce takes a village. I realized that there was something missing in the marketplace for a really curated selection [of products], especially for someone with my aesthetic. Sometimes shopping online it felt overwhelming and there were too many options it’s more like the dichotomy of choice. It’s almost like when you go to a Trader Joe’s. They have one Dijon mustard, one yellow mustard and so on, whereas if you go to a Whole Foods there are 300 different mustards to choose. It’s almost like you just want someone who will say, “P.S., here’s the best of the best.”
So what are you starting off selling?
Clothing, home and gifts. We will definitely be carrying a selection of Cupcakes and Cashmere pieces across the site, but we will be curating a lot of other really fantastic brands, like Mother for jeans (they’re my favorite), Dress The Population for occasion dresses and more. We have a little bit of everything. It’s the same approach I take with the blog and clothing line. I always want to be able to outfit a girl for everything she’s doing, whether she’s going to the airport or going to work or grabbing drinks.
Do you plan on adding children’s eventually?
Selfishly, yes. As a mom, I always know exactly what I am looking for and oftentimes it’s really hard to find. I think even the experience of being a mother for only two and a half years, I have just such a specific idea of what I am looking for and am so passionate about it.
Is your life actually as picturesque as it seems online?
No! It’s funny because so much of my life is out there and it is so easy for people to not realize that there is a real person [there]. I’m not going to necessarily show when my daughter is having a tantrum or if I am having a really bad hair day. I try to show people a very curated version of my life. I try to find the balance of showing people things that inspire them but also keeping it real. But I have insecurities, I am struggling to find balance and I am like every single other girl.
How has becoming a mom changed your style?
It changes everything. It really does. I don’t wear all white anymore, or [something] that has to be dry cleaned because it is going to get dirty immediately. Being a mother shifts everything but it is obviously the best thing in the world, so it is well worth it.
There must be a point where you feel like you can’t put together a new outfit for the day.
There are times when I go to my closet and I’m like, “Wow, there is truly nothing I am inspired by” and feel like nothing looks good and I hate everything. That happens to me just as often as the next [woman], but even more because I am supposed to put my outfits out there publicly. But , I’ve carved out a niche for myself. I am not always going to be in the “It” pieces and the trendiest things, so there’s a little bit less pressure on me to reset the wheel every time I get dressed.
Are you saving any pieces of clothing for your daughter?
I have the dress I was wearing the day I met my husband. That comes to mind. I still see pictures of my mom from the ’70s and I’m like, “You’ve gotta be kidding that you didn’t save this dress or this top!” She has so many cool things that she grew out of, so I am really going to make a point to have some stuff set aside for her.
What question do your readers ask you over and over again?
Everyone asks how I am able to eat so much junk food. I attribute that to having been an athlete for a very, very long time and I have a pretty forgiving metabolism. But it all comes down to balance. I don’t Instagram the sad bowl of leftover quinoa and greens I’m eating. That isn’t fun!
Are you excited to shop from Cupcakes & Cashmere’s new e-commerce site? Tell us what you’re buying in the comments below!
