Carly Lawrence Is Done Playing the Game—Now She’s Designing Her Own
Carly Lawrence isn’t just navigating post-reality TV life—she’s building something real, one intentional move at a time. Originally from Toronto and now calling Los Angeles home, Carly first stepped into the spotlight on Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle. With nearly two million followers across platforms, she’s carved out her own lane as a lifestyle and fashion creator, business owner, and budding actress. Whether she’s sharing her love for cooking, Pilates, mental health, or her dog Luna, Carly connects with her audience through a blend of vulnerability, style, and down-to-earth charm.
We talked to Carly about life beyond the screen. What it took to shift perceptions, launch her fragrance Exist, and dive headfirst into acting. From solo passion projects to style goals grounded in comfort.
Being on Too Hot To Handle gave you global visibility. How has that experience shaped your career—and your personal life?
Too Hot To Handle was a whirlwind! It opened up so many doors and gave me a global platform almost overnight. Career-wise, it allowed me to connect with millions of people and build a brand around things I actually care about, like fashion, beauty, and self-expression. It gave me a platform to reach millions of individuals and start sharing my life with them. It helped me grow a career in the fashion and beauty industry, as well as led me to create my own fragrance.
After the show, what was the biggest challenge in shifting public perception or evolving beyond the reality TV label?
The hardest part was showing people there’s more to me than what they saw in a few edited episodes. Reality TV can freeze you in time, but I’ve grown a lot since then. The biggest shift was just staying consistent—working behind the scenes, building my own brand, and making choices that reflect who I am now. I’ve grown into a completely different person since I filmed, and it’s interesting to be able to share that journey online with people.
What upcoming projects or career moves are you most excited about right now?
I’m really excited about growing Sutherland & Co. and bringing Exist to more people, especially in-store. I’m also diving deeper into acting, which has been such a creative outlet for me. I loved the process of creating a fragrance – it was very interesting and I did it completely on my own. I truly was the only decision maker in every aspect of the process, as well as funding it myself. Acting is new to me, and I’ve been in school for the past few months. I absolutely love trying new things and feel like it’s important to constantly be learning. One of my favorite quotes is, “Always be a student,” which I read in the book Ego is the Enemy. I’m not sure what an acting career would look like for me, but I’m up for the challenge.
You started as a model and reality TV personality, and now you’re stepping into the world of acting. What inspired that shift, and how are you approaching this next phase of your career?
I’ve always loved performance—it’s part of modeling, too—but acting lets me explore different sides of myself in a deeper way. I’ve been training seriously, taking classes, and really trying to do it the right way. It’s about proving to myself that I can do more and also showing the world that I’m not afraid to evolve. I think coming from a background of reality TV, people are so quick to put you in that small box. I’ve been really trying to expand beyond that. Although there is nothing wrong with reality TV, I just don’t think it suits my long-term goals or challenges me in any way.
Let’s talk about Exist, your fragrance with Sutherland & Co. How did that collaboration come about?
I actually founded Sutherland & Co. myself—this wasn’t just a collaboration. It was a passion project. I’ve always loved fragrance and how it can completely shift your mood or presence. I wanted to create something that felt powerful, feminine, and unforgettable—something that makes you feel like the main character when you wear it. When I was in high school, I was constantly mixing fragrances and trying out every fragrance in Sephora. I always liked to smell good, and felt like fragrance was one of my favorite hobbies. Three years ago, I had a thought. What if I just make something I genuinely can wear every single day? That’s what I did!
How would you describe the vibe and message behind the perfume?
Exist is bold but soft. It’s sensual without being overpowering. I wanted it to represent being fully present in your skin, owning who you are, flaws and all. It’s about taking up space unapologetically. It has a vanilla base, which is super authentic to who I am, as I’ve loved vanilla for as long as I can remember. The fragrance is very gender neutral and has a lot of love online from all genders.
Were you hands-on in the creative process, like selecting notes or designing the bottle?
Completely. I was the ONLY ONE involved—from picking the scent profile to the bottle design and even the name. I knew I wanted a high concentration so it lasts and a balance of warm, skin-like notes with something bright and sexy. It’s basically my personality in a bottle. Sutherland and Co. is 100% mine, and I make 100% of ALL the decisions. Aside from my best friends, who helped me test out the scent when it was in production, I went through probably about 50 testers, changing out notes, before I created Exist.
Your content often touches on mental health in a very grounded way—what made you want to open up that conversation with your followers?
Honestly, because I’ve been through it. I’ve had anxiety. I’ve felt lost. I know what it’s like to struggle behind the scenes while everything looks “perfect” online. Social media can be so fake, and I wanted to create a space where people feel seen, even if it’s just through a caption or a story. Mental health is something many people can relate to, and it’s important to me personally that with my platform, I give real experiences and real-life hardships online.
You’re big on style—what influences your fashion choices lately, and do you see a future in design or brand collaborations?
Lately, I’ve been into mixing vintage with more polished, minimal pieces. I love when something feels effortless but still put-together. I’d love to design in the future—maybe something between streetwear and elevated basics, or even a capsule collection. I’d want it to feel personal, like an extension of me. One thing I’m big on is wearing outfits that are comfortable. I genuinely will not wear something if I feel like I’m going to fidget in it at an event/show. I also love to get advice from stylists because they do know best and keep up with styles more than I do.
Visit Sutherland & Co. and connect with Carly on Instagram and TikTok
