When Karla Gallardo launched her lifestyle brand Cuyana in 2011, she hoped her belief in “buying fewer, better” would resonate with a generation of women who had grown weary of fast fashion.
But the ethos didn’t just inspire the brand’s line of long-lasting leather goods and more. Gallardo’s emphasis on quality over quantity has infused every decision the savvy Co-founder and CEO has made, allowing the brand to expand at a steady pace and avoid the pitfalls that often plague other fashion start-ups that are pressured to quickly expand.
“The business was designed with a commitment to profitability, rejecting the prevailing trend of growth at all costs,” she explains. “Even under pressure to scale rapidly, I remained anchored in our core principles of intentionality, timeless design, and customer-centered decision-making. The goal was never fast expansion, but building something enduring, rooted in longevity and meaning.”
At a recent Chief and Cuyana partnership event at the Los Angeles clubhouse, “Embodying Your Brand Ethos in Work and Life,” Gallardo shared the principles that have helped her stay true to herself and her company. Ultimately, she says, the “fewer, better” approach has paid off both in business and at home.
“Whether it's selecting quality ingredients in the food I eat, being deliberate about time with family and friends, or prioritizing enriching experiences, it’s all about thoughtful, purposeful choices,” she says. “To me, living richly means focusing on what genuinely adds value and joy, achieved through conscious, intentional decisions.”
Stay True to Your Mission
Cuyana’s emphasis on timeless design and quality craftsmanship has earned the brand a legion of loyal fans, and allowed the company to avoid the overproduction that often comes with chasing trends. While other brands expect at least some of their inventory to sell at discount, Cuyana’s “fewer, better” approach, paired with its direct-to-consumer insights, has allowed the company to truly understand its customer and sell 90% of its inventory at full price.
At the event, Gallardo recalled how she knew a growth-at-all-costs model — which meant acquiring a customer with longer payback periods — wasn't the right fit for Cuyana.
“I couldn't see that working for us, because it meant we wouldn't be helping our customer purchase intentionally, and it would lead to acquisition through discounts,” Gallardo explains. “It was not in alignment with our mission and business objectives. I couldn't see how we dial ourselves back from that without eventually having to compromise on quality. Short term, we could have entered an era where Cuyana was everywhere, but long term, I could see us becoming one of those brands that disappoints its customers — and then our doors would close.”
Maintain a Commitment to Excellence
Gallardo grew up in Ecuador, the daughter of a father who encouraged her and her sister to pursue their education, even if that meant leaving their homeland behind. At 18, she moved to the U.S. to attend Brown University, and after a stint at Goldman Sachs, she earned a master's at Stanford’s graduate school of business, where she met Cuyana’s co-founder, Shilpa Shah.
“My upbringing in Ecuador has profoundly shaped my leadership style, particularly through the values of excellence and intentionality that my father instilled in me,” Gallardo says.
She admits that her pursuit of excellence sometimes tips over into perfectionism — a trait that Gallardo says she’s learning to let go. One of the biggest lessons she’s learned as a business leader is not to let the pursuit of perfection stifle innovation, and to embrace testing as an essential component of decision-making and product development.
“My experience has taught me that success emerges from experimentation — testing ideas, gathering insights from customers, and making iterative adjustments,” she explains. “Whether evaluating new products or determining optimal pop-up locations, these tests have provided the valuable insights necessary for making more intentional and informed decisions.”
Keep Kindness at the Heart of Your Work
Cuyana means “to love” in Quechua, the native language of the women who crafted the company’s first product, a woven hat. The name was intentional, Gallardo says, since love infuses everything the company does.
“We want our customers to buy only what they love, and to keep what they love. We want to make products with love. We want to love what we do,” she explains. “So the word love is really important in our culture, and thus part of the brand."
That sentiment carries over when it comes to fostering healthy communication with her employees, where Gallardo says she’s learned to always lead with kindness. “Whether within our team or in our interactions with customers, kindness, empathy, and understanding create a more cohesive and successful environment,” she says. “By taking the time to understand others’ perspectives, we cultivate healthier communication and forge deeper connections, which ultimately strengthens both the team and the business. Leading with kindness doesn’t mean compromising on the expectation of excellence — it enhances the way we achieve it.”
