Cynthia Lu

Cynthia Lu is the founder of Cactus Plant Flea Market (CPFM), the streetwear label she launched in early 2015 after years working inside Pharrell Williams' creative orbit — first as an intern at *Complex*, then at Billionaire Boys Club, and eventually as Pharrell's personal assistant and stylist. Lu has never given a public interview, operating the brand entirely from behind the scenes, which has made her one of the most influential yet least visible figures in contemporary streetwear. CPFM's design language — wonky smiley-face graphics, puff lettering, and a DIY, upcycled sensibility — traces directly to Lu's habit of sourcing vintage pieces at Paris flea markets for Pharrell, and to the one-of-one custom pieces she made for friends before the brand formally existed. Her Nike collaborations, including a VaporMax she prototyped herself using t-shirt scraps, garden wire, and lights cut from Payless sneakers, and later the Air Force 1 and Dunk, established CPFM as one of the most creatively credible brands in the Nike ecosystem.