My name is Lisa Priolo, and I relocated to Venice Beach, California, in 2005 from Toronto, Canada. I am the founder and designer of CISSA, a shirting brand that reimagines classic styles with a twist.
CISSA is built on a commitment to quality and attention to detail, with every piece proudly made in Los Angeles using fabrics sourced from the world’s most prestigious mills.
The concept came to life during the pandemic; the world was on hold, so I had time to be slow and go inward, which allowed me to revisit my beginnings in fashion.
Before I dive more into shirting, I’d like to share the story of how I arrived here.
My passion for shirting took root years ago in Toronto, Canada, during my first corporate job at Holt Renfrew. What started as a summer internship led to a full-time position that became the catalyst for my creative evolution. During this time, I unknowingly planted the seeds of what would later become CISSA.
It was the early 2000’s, the days when corporate dress codes were strict. I owned a single pair of jeans and was limited to wearing denim on a handful of summer Fridays each year; sheer stockings were a must, as bare legs and open-toed shoes were prohibited. My wardrobe consisted of matching suits, tailored slacks, sweaters, and collared shirts. With a modest corporate income, I bartended evenings and weekends to supplement my earnings.
One day at work, the menswear team announced a sample sale for the entire Buying Office. Designer shirts from the best brands like Zegna, Brunello Cuccinelli, Dries Van Noten, and Gucci to Prada were available at prices I could finally afford. The only downside was that they were men’s shirts in large sizes, all too big for my petite frame. It felt like Christmas morning; imagine your favorite vintage store, scouring through table tops and piles of perfectly new (designer) clothes with no stains, tears, or smells. I bought several shirts and took them home, determined to make them my own.
I began removing each button, shirt by shirt, repositioning them, and then reattaching each one. This created a soft, wrapped shape custom to my waistline that suited my silhouette perfectly, creating a relaxed shape that gently hugged my waist.
The process ignited my appreciation for deconstruction tailoring, asymmetrical fits, and the art of tailoring and customization.
A tomboy at heart, I have always gravitated toward long-sleeved shirts, always my most comfortable and confident men's shirts; they became my wardrobe’s foundation. I wore them to my day job, to my night job, as a beach coverup, and even to bed. They became my uniform, statement, and most coveted wardrobe staple.
CISSA was born from this love affair with shirting. Dedicated to crafting shirts from the finest cotton fibers in the world, CISSA celebrates customization, individuality, versatility, and timeless sophistication, offering styles with a distinctive “twist.”
CISSA was born with a single style: a wrap shirt called The MEN’s – a redefined classic button-down designed to be worn two ways: traditionally or wrapped for an asymmetrical or deconstructed look.