Today we’d like to introduce you to Cydney Young.
Hi Cydney, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has always had creativity running through it, and so much of that comes from my late mother. My style and taste are a direct reflection of her. She had an incredible eye for fashion, interiors, and beautiful details, and growing up around that shaped the way I see the world today. I think she taught me, without even realizing it, that style is about so much more than what you wear—it’s about how you express yourself and how you make everyday life feel beautiful.
I’ve loved fashion and personal style for as long as I can remember. For me, it has always been a form of self-expression and a way to celebrate individuality. That love of creativity has stayed with me even though my professional path initially took me in a very different direction.
I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and have spent the past several years working in mental health. At the same time, I never stopped nurturing my creative side. I began sharing my personal style online, experimenting with styling and creating content, and over time it grew into a community and an outlet that allowed me to explore so many of the things I genuinely love.
More recently, I’ve started evolving that presence into Cyd & the City, which feels much more representative of who I am today. It goes beyond fashion and brings together style, beautiful spaces, local experiences, travel, food, and the little details that make life feel special—all through my perspective here in Indianapolis.
I think where I am today is really about allowing myself to embrace all the different parts of who I am. My path hasn’t been perfectly linear, but I’ve realized it doesn’t have to be. In a lot of ways, what I’m creating now feels like an extension of what my mom instilled in me—an appreciation for style, beauty, individuality, and creating a life that feels uniquely your own. I’m continuing to build something that feels authentic to me while letting creativity lead me into whatever comes next.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. One of the biggest challenges in my life has been losing my mother. Because so much of my creativity, style, and appreciation for beauty comes from her, learning how to move forward without her has shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. At the same time, I’ve found that continuing to create is one of the ways I carry her influence with me.
Another challenge has been learning to make space for my creative aspirations while building a career in a completely different field. Working in mental health is meaningful, but it can also be emotionally demanding. There have been seasons when I’ve poured so much of myself into my professional responsibilities that I didn’t have much left to give to the creative parts of myself.
I’ve also had to overcome the idea that there is one “right” timeline or path to success. It can be easy to look around and feel like you should be further along, especially in the age of social media. I’m learning to trust my own timing and understand that none of my experiences have been wasted. Even the parts of my journey that seem completely unrelated have helped shape the way I connect with people, tell stories, and see the world.
At this stage of my life, I’m giving myself permission to pursue the things that genuinely light me up. I’m still figuring some of it out, but I think there’s something beautiful about that too. My journey has taught me that sometimes the road doesn’t have to be smooth—or even make perfect sense—to lead you somewhere meaningful.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My creative work really lives at the intersection of style, storytelling, and everyday experiences. Fashion has always been at the center of what I do, and over the years I’ve explored that through personal styling, fashion content, visual storytelling, and building my own personal brand.
Today, that creativity is evolving into Cyd & the City, a curated look at style, spaces, and city life through my perspective in Indianapolis. I love discovering beautiful places and experiences—whether that’s a restaurant, an event, an incredible interior, a trip, or simply an outfit—and finding a way to tell a story around it visually. I want what I create to feel elevated and aspirational, but still approachable and relatable to everyday women.
I think what sets me apart is my eye for detail and my ability to find beauty in the everyday. I’m very intentional about aesthetics, but I never want something to feel beautiful just for the sake of being beautiful. I want there to be personality, feeling, and a story behind it. My background in social work has also given me a genuine love for people and connection, which I think naturally carries into the way I create and engage with my community.
What I’m most proud of is that I’ve built my creative presence organically while maintaining an entirely separate professional career. I’ve continued to create because I genuinely love it—not because I felt like I had to fit into a particular niche or title. As I grow Cyd & the City, I’m excited to create something that feels distinctly mine and that celebrates both my personal style and the city I call home.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think the creative and fashion industries are continuing to move toward individuality and authentic personal expression. With so much content constantly being produced, I think people are becoming more drawn to creatives who have a distinct point of view rather than simply following every trend.
For me personally, I hope to continue shooting looks, experimenting with fashion, and sharing my creativity in ways that feel true to my personal style. I’d love to explore more opportunities within the fashion industry, whether that’s through styling, modeling, creative direction, brand collaborations, or opportunities I may not have even imagined yet.
I also see Cyd & the City continuing to grow alongside that. My goal is to create a space where fashion can live alongside travel, beautiful spaces, food, culture, and experiences. Ultimately, I want to keep evolving creatively without feeling like I have to fit myself into one box. I’m excited to see where that freedom takes me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: cydney_paige
