In 1938, Cashin was “discovered” by legendary fashion editor Carmel Snow, who attended a Roxyette performance in which Cashin dress the dancers in “real” clothes, coming out of the page of a stage-sized Harper’s Bazaar. on Snow’s recommendation, Cashin was appointed chief ready-to-wear designer for Adler & Adler, a prestigious manufacturer of women’s coats and suits.
Cashin worked for Adler & Adler until 1943, during which time her designs were photographed by the likes of Louise Dahl-Wolfe, she earned Vogue’s “Fashions America Does Best” Award and, together with Claire McCardell and Vera Maxwell, formed a “top secret” team to design World War II uniforms for civilian workers.