Global Glamour: Zoya Garg’s Travel-Inspired Fashion Odyssey and Style Secrets

Meet Zoya Garg, a 22-year-old artist and designer hailing from Seattle. From an early age, Zoya’s life has revolved around the intersection of fashion and art, evolving from crayon-drawn walls to becoming the designated henna artist at her family’s annual Diwali celebrations. Her creative journey took an unexpected turn when, alongside her artistic pursuits, she dedicated herself to competitive figure skating, discovering her latent passion for design while crafting her competition dresses. Although her Olympic dreams transitioned into a more practical college path, figure skating catalyzed her venture into the world of design.

During her time at Fordham University in New York, Zoya reignited her love for visual arts, creating prints that gained popularity on social media. This led to the inception of her brand, By Zoya, as she transformed her artwork into wearable expressions. From selling prints on shirts, Zoya progressed to crafting her first cut-and-sew piece, the Katie Dress, handmade in the bustling city of New York. Leveraging the power of Instagram and a viral video showcasing her creation, Zoya successfully sold out the limited run of 150 dresses in under five minutes. The subsequent two years have been a journey of self-teaching, trial and error, and navigating the intricate realms of production, PR, influencer relationships, and social media dynamics. Now, having graduated college, Zoya has chosen to embark on her entrepreneurial path full-time, armed with the invaluable lessons she’s learned along the way.

Your journey from figure skater to fashion entrepreneur is fascinating. How has your time on the ice influenced the way you approach design and tell stories through your clothing?

The first things I ever designed were figure skating dresses when I was younger. When designing a figure skating dress, it has to be super intentional. We’re looking at how the dress will look on the person, elongating lines, making the individual look more elegant, with longer arms and legs, etc. So that when the judges (who are sitting very far away) look at you, everything looks much nicer, of course.

It is also about storytelling. There’s already music and choreography, and the dress is the very last thing to come into the picture. However, if you’re going for a certain vibe, the dress is a huge part of that. So I think that kind of made me think about what I’m designing now. I think of where it’s going to be worn before I think of anything beyond that. If I’m designing something, I’m like, this is the girl I’m imagining; this is where she’s going to be, what’s she going to do? This is the music that’s playing when she’s walking by. That kind of thing. And, of course, I’m also thinking about how to make her legs look longer and everything else so that she stands out from far away.

The Katie Dress was a game-changer for By Zoya. Can you spill the creative secrets behind how photography, styling, and hand-drawn graphics came together to narrate a compelling story through a seemingly simple halter dress?

So that was something similar where I was going from printed t-shirts to my first cut-and-sew piece, and there weren’t the funds to make a whole collection. It was like, we’re making one item and hopefully we can do it in three colours, but that’s about as far as it can go. So I wanted that item to have a life of its own. And I kind of was describing that with the storytelling when you do that, it makes the item feel a lot bigger than just one item. So I was imagining a piece that had this vibe of effortlessly put on, just throwing it on. And that’s where I started.

It was either going to be like a tank dress or a halter. I decided to go with a halter because it allowed for this low back, which was something that you’d see in all my early figure skating dresses. I had a few dresses that had like a halter as well, but this was a tie halter, which, of course, wouldn’t work for figure skating, but it was a very similar shape of the dress to a figure skating dress. So it looked very nice on, but it looked, it had this vibe of like, oh, I just threw this on and ran out of the house. That kind of reminded me of a New York summer where it’s so hot, and you just have to throw on the least amount of clothing possible and then just run out the door.

This gave me this idea of when you live in New York, you see these super stylish women that have seemingly thrown on an outfit, but they look so put together and so nice, and you’re just like, where is she going? So that was the vision behind it. We did that dress and then we did just normal running shoes and socks and a bag to make it look like she was going somewhere. Keys in her hand, etc. I think that created that vision I had in mind of like, who is this girl? Where is she going? Where is she wearing this dress? And I think that was the reason why it did so well because if I just did a static photo of that dress in the studio, it just wouldn’t have been the same, and people wouldn’t have seen the vision.

Switching from prints to cut and sew pieces is no small feat. What challenges did you face in this evolution, especially in the competitive New York fashion scene, and how did you navigate through them?

I found that my peers in New York and the fashion scene have been hugely helpful to me, in learning the ropes and understanding what to do. Different people I’ve met along the way have given me great advice and shown me different parts of the industry that I wouldn’t have understood, helping me navigate social media and PR, etc. So that’s been amazing and I’m hugely grateful for that just because now that I live in Barcelona, people ask me all the time and it’s clear that it’s not as open of a conversation as it was in New York with people in my age group and people in my industry. That being said, there’s just so much that you have to learn by doing, of course. So people can give you advice, but if you want to create a supply chain and move from printing t-shirts to doing things cut and sew, you have to learn things the hard way for sure.

I guess one of the biggest challenges has been creating that supply chain and figuring out how to manufacture clothes ethically. How to get fabrics in an ethical way that supports what I believe in, but it’s also good for my customers not making things too expensive. I think a lot of designers are super transparent about how producing in New York is expensive. Something that they don’t talk about is New York is not the main place where clothes are produced in the world and it’s not the highest quality of production. So you’re paying a high price for not necessarily the experts in the field. A lot of the experts are in Europe, so you’re not always getting the best construction and you’re paying a high price for it. So it’s finding that balance of what can we make in New York.

As a young female entrepreneur, who has been a key role model or mentor for you along the way? How have they influenced your approach to business and creativity?

Well, I talked about this a little bit, but I think my peers have been such good mentors for me along the way. A friend that I met very early on, I had modelled for her brand, and I just said, I’ll model for you for free if I can meet with the founder and just get coffee with her. And she and I have been friends, her name’s Chloe Neu, we’ve been friends for four or five years now, and she’s been a huge help. She taught me how to go about direct messaging girls to send them clothes, and it was the start of everything. So I owe a lot to her.

I’d say more recently my biggest mentor is probably my mom. I think when you’re a female entrepreneur it’s a higher bar before you can say you feel truly successful. And I don’t know, I think it’s really hard for women, in general, to be proud and feel successful about things in the business world. You’re always putting a lot of pressure on yourself, and my mom has done entrepreneurial work, but she’s also just a grown woman who’s worked for a long time. She’s also an immigrant and the hardest worker I know. So just getting her approval and having her tell me that she thinks I’m doing a good job is the best and is all I need.

In your view, what’s the biggest advantage of social media for emerging brands, and how do you maintain authenticity and connection with your audience in the digital realm?

I think TikTok, social media, Instagram, everything is such a good way to reach new customers that you probably wouldn’t have had without it. With the Katie dress, we did a lot of behind-the-scenes videos that went viral, which found us a huge group of customers that we wouldn’t have found any other way. But I think in terms of staying authentic, that’s where you retain those customers. So a viral moment is amazing for finding new people and showing people your designs, which is an incredible opportunity. But I think being authentic and being very personal on Instagram and just sharing from your perspective, sharing your own opinions, etc, in conjunction with the brand helps people see you as different and authentic and helps the customers purchase again or feel like they’re included in the community, which they are. They are the community. So super important.

Being self-taught through trial and error is impressive. Any advice for aspiring designers or entrepreneurs considering a similar path?

There’s a designer that I follow Marcelo who owns Mirror Palais and it has grown quite a bit in the last few years, but he runs his TikTok and Instagram personally. He is always writing from his perspective, which I always really enjoy as a customer and I like to do that for my brand as well. He’s also super honest about his struggles with the brand so if something doesn’t go well or an item flops or something, he is open to sharing how that’s like making the brand struggle. I think that helps someone like me who doesn’t see brands talking about struggles ’cause ultimately that’s always gonna happen.

Graduating and diving full-time into your business is a bold move. What factors influenced this decision, and what advice do you have for young professionals thinking about entrepreneurship?

That was an intense decision but I had been working on the brand for the last three years in school, as it’s grown, it’s almost become like the brand is full-time and I was trying to do school at the same time. I think even though school was a huge part of my life and I did spend a lot of time there, it wasn’t the same as having a full-time job elsewhere, and I just didn’t think I could take a job for working for somebody else and give them my hundred percent as well as give my brand a hundred percent. I thought I just owed it to myself and anybody else I wanted to work for in the future to do whatever I was doing at full speed at a hundred percent. That was the main thing, I was like, I do wanna keep working on my brand and I wanna give it everything and I just couldn’t stop without knowing I gave it everything.

Looking forward, what’s on the horizon for By Zoya? How do you envision the brand evolving in the years to come?

We’re doing new clothes, which I’m excited about. We’re tying in some of my more figure skating past into this new collection. My mom found all my old figure skating dresses that I designed so hopefully we can tie those in in some way or at least get to start sharing some of my old stuff. And she even found my last pair of figure skates, which had custom pink blades on them. So hopefully those will be included in the photos. I’m very excited about that.

Zoya’s Holiday Rules

Where is your favourite travel destination?

Hmm. I would’ve probably said Barcelona had you asked me a year ago, but now that I’m living here at the minute, um, I would probably say the Costa Brava, which is just up the coast from Barcelona. It’s just like a few hours drive and it’s the best. I went last summer and then we spent a longer time there this summer and it has the most incredible beaches.

When travelling, what are your go-to fashion essentials that effortlessly balance comfort and style?

I would say my number one essential, especially if I’m travelling somewhere like London or New York, is a trench coat. I always wear a trench coat on the plane. It kind of acts like a little blanket and then it’s also just like a great coat to have while you’re travelling. Doesn’t take up too much room and it looks very fashionable. I love my trench coat.

Whether you’re on the go or settling in at a destination, what are your must-have beauty products that always make it into your travel bag?

I love to do tinted sunscreen. I feel like if you’re travelling it just makes you feel a lot more put together, but you also get your SPF so that’s great. I use Elta MD’s Tinted Sunscreen. It was recommended to me by a dermatologist and I’ve used it ever since. Skin tints are nice to have as well because I just don’t like to have a full face of makeup when I’m travelling and on the go but still want to look put together. I love Glossier Skin Tint. It feels so nice. It feels like skincare but it’s tinted! And then they also have a blush that’s like a liquid and it’s called Cloud Paint and you can use it on your lips and everything. So that’s perfect as well.

Do you have a signature fragrance that accompanies you on your travels?

I always wear Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, no matter where I am. If I have the opportunity to try a new scent, travelling is the best time to try it because then I can associate that trip with a new scent.

What’s your go-to airport outfit and do you have any tips for staying fashionable during long flights?

That would be my trench coat for sure. Also, I think everyone in life should just have one nice big bag that can fit their laptop or whatever when travelling. I have a huge Balenciaga city bag and it’s purple so it adds a bit of colour and like makes me feel a little bit more fashionable when I’m travelling. But at the same time, it’s very functional. And then I would say I love it when like all my luggage is the same color. I’m a very colourful person. I love having purses and different colours, but it’s nice when my duffle bag and my suitcase and everything is all black just makes me feel more put together and nice when I’m rolling through the airport with way too many bags.

Do you have any tips for fellow fashionistas on curating the perfect travel essentials collection?

I think it’s all about finding items that stand on their own and then items that can go with everything. So, if you have a good pair of black boots and they can go with every single outfit, that’s perfect. But then also having items that stand on their own and like would make you not notice that you’ve worn the black boots for every single outfit.

Your Instagram showcases a variety of styles. What are your top three must-have items when you’re travelling?

I love the Jensen Shrug. That’s one of our bestselling items, but it’s just little add-on sleeves. It can just basically make a plain tank top into like a going-out top by adding little feathers and lace. It also is perfect if you just are a little colder and want sleeves on your outfit. I think that can change any outfit perfectly. I don’t go anywhere without the Lucy skirt, it’s just like a plain black velvet skirt. And that’s kind of on the side of what I was talking about. An item that you can wear with like every top and your whole luggage, but it still is a black skirt. And then, I would have to say if I’m going somewhere warm, I would do the Lucy dress, which is a lace kind of dress that you could wear over a swimsuit, or you can also tuck it into pants so it becomes a backless top. So again, any item that can be worn in different ways would be my three.

New York is known for bold fashion. How has living there and Barcelona changed the direction of your creativity? Is it influencing you to go in a different direction?

In New York, I think that was the first time that I felt comfortable taking big risks in fashion or kind of finding my style. I don’t know if those risks were always the best, but I think it was so important for me to just feel like taking the pressure off, especially from when you’re younger. I grew up in Seattle, which I think is a very homogenous style scene and people wear a lot of the same things. Moving away from that and breaking out of that was super important and just not feeling weird about trying something new and finding my style. I was talking about my bright purple bag, I probably would’ve never worn something like that before New York, but then in New York, I was like, who cares? I like it so I’m gonna wear it. You need to dress for yourself.

Living here in Barcelona, I think people are very chic and are more about the shapes of the clothing and they’re super intentional about colours. They might wear bright purple, but it’s because it matches the light blue that they’re wearing perfectly, they don’t do too much and it’s a little bit more understated while still being very interesting. It’s made me think maybe I should take one thing off before I leave the door or kind of reduce the outfit just a little bit. It’s kind of finding the balance between the two, but I think both have improved my style immensely.

What designers have influenced your style and designs?

I think a lot of it comes from when I was younger. One of the designers I loved when I was younger was Betsy Johnson. I was obsessed with Betsy Johnson when I was little. I had a babysitter in her 20s when I was 10, and she was showing me all the Betsy Johnson videos and I got very into it. We would go to Nordstrom Rack and try to find Betsy Johnson. That was where I got a lot of my prints and colourful things. Another designer I loved was also Kate Spade. Kate Spade in the early 2000s had a lot of prints and very eclectic stuff. I think I bought, at the outlet mall, a Kate Spade purse that was black with white bows all over it and a big pink strap. You would probably think it fits right into my clothing style now.

Where is next on your bucket list?

Well, this was on my bucket list, but now we’re going to Tokyo in the spring and I’m so excited. My family are huge sushi lovers, so it’s gonna be lots of fun. I’m excited.

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Photography by  Vinyet Feliubadalo

Collage by Zoya