The Woman Behind CSB: Rachel Dillon On Building A Global Business
the business of movement
By Kiri Johnston | 26th June 2026When Rachel Dillon founded CSB, formerly Crop Shop Boutique, in 2019, the brand stocked three crop top styles. Now, seven years later, the brand has amassed a social media following of over one million, a loyal global community, pop-ups around the world, and a celebrity fanbase including Alix Earle, Dua Lipa, and Gigi Hadid.
We chat to Rachel about her rise to stardom, the building of CSB, and standing out from the crowd.
CSB launched in 2019, and the brand has grown at an incredible pace since. Looking back now, was there a particular moment where you realised this had the potential to become something much bigger than an activewear label?
Honestly, it wasn’t one defining moment; it was more a series of small moments that built over time. Early on, I started noticing that women weren’t just buying CSB; they were genuinely integrating it into their lives. They were sharing it with their communities and becoming deeply invested in the behind-the-scenes of the brand. The level of engagement felt far beyond a transactional purchase, and that was the first indication that we were building something people truly connected with on a deeper level.
If I had to pinpoint a real turning point, it was when we started seeing strong organic growth in markets we hadn’t even directly targeted yet. Women in the US and UK were discovering CSB organically and wearing it in the exact same way as our Australian community. That was the moment it really clicked for me that what we were creating had the ability to resonate globally.
Activewear is one of the most competitive spaces in fashion. What do you think CSB understood early on that other brands missed?
We understood early that women didn’t want activewear to exist in a separate part of their wardrobe. They wanted pieces that moved with them through their whole day and made them feel confident in every version of themselves.
From the beginning, CSB was never just about performance. It was about creating products that blended fashion, function, and confidence in a way that felt effortless. We also focused heavily on building emotional connection around the brand. Product drives discovery, but community creates longevity. That’s something we’ve believed in from day one.
You’ve built a brand in an era where trends move incredibly fast. How do you decide what’s worth leaning into versus what’s just noise?
It comes back to having a really clear understanding of who you are as a brand and who you’re building for. Trends move quickly, but not every trend needs to become part of your business. For us, we always come back to whether something feels authentic to CSB and whether it adds genuine value to our customer. We pay attention to culture, how women are living, what they’re wearing, and how their routines are evolving, but we try not to chase moments purely because they’re happening. The goal isn’t to react to everything; it’s to stay connected enough to evolve while staying disciplined enough to protect what makes your brand recognisable in the first place. Long-term brand building always matters more than short-term attention.
“Trends move quickly, but not every trend needs to become part of your business.”
Social media has played a huge role in CSB’s growth, but it also comes with pressure to constantly evolve. How do you balance growth while maintaining authenticity?
Social moves incredibly quickly, and there’s always pressure to do more, move faster, or chase what’s performing in the moment. For us, we evolve constantly, but we try not to evolve for the sake of it. Growth doesn’t always come from being the loudest. Sometimes it comes from being the most consistent. We think a lot about creating content and experiences that feel genuine to our community rather than overly manufactured. Whether it’s social content, partnerships, or events, the goal is always the same: building connections and making people feel a part of the CSB world. When you stay focused on your customer and your brand values, growth and authenticity can exist alongside each other.
As the business has grown, how hands-on do you remain, and what does your day-to-day actually look like now?
I’m still incredibly hands-on. As the business grows, your role changes, but I think founders always stay deeply connected to the details that shape the brand. A lot of my time today is focused on the bigger picture, like brand direction, product, creative, partnerships, and long-term growth, but I still love being involved in the finer details too.
Whether that’s campaign concepts, product feedback, retail experiences, or creative reviews, I enjoy staying close to the customer experience and making sure everything feels aligned to who CSB is. No two days ever really look the same. One day can be range reviews and campaign planning, the next can be store visits, partnerships, content approvals, or discussing future growth opportunities. As we’ve grown globally, a big part of my role has also become building the right team around the business. Great brands are never built by one person. Creating a team of people who deeply understand the vision and can continue elevating it has become one of the most important parts of scaling CSB.
When you think about the next five years of CSB, what feels most important to protect as the brand continues to grow?
The most important thing is protecting what people connect with emotionally. As brands grow, there can be pressure to move faster, expand wider, or chase every opportunity, but protecting the things that made people fall in love with the brand in the first place becomes really important. As we continue to grow globally, protecting authenticity will be a huge focus. Making sure we continue showing up in a way that feels true to who we are, while still evolving and pushing forward. Growth is exciting, but long-term brand building comes from consistency. The goal isn’t simply to get bigger.
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The goal is to keep building something people genuinely want to be part of for years to come.
Imagery: @racheljdillon
