'By Zoya': From TikTok Sensation to Global Design Phenomenon

Get ready to dive into the world of "By Zoya," where fashion meets storytelling! Meet Zoya, the brains and heart behind the brand, whose journey started with crafting ice skating dresses. From being a viral sensation on TikTok to thriving as a designer, she spills the beans on challenges, inspirations from New York and Barcelona, and the importance of creating a global community. In this Interview, Zoya dishes on future aspirations and exciting projects, so let's get into it.

Maya Asia Monet Ray via Instagram 

Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself!

I did my senior year of high school in Cadiz, Spain, and have now just moved back to Spain after 5 years. I grew up figure skating competitively and quit going into my junior year of high school. I’m named after a book called ‘Zoya’ that my mom fell in love with in college. It’s about a woman immigrating to America as my mom did after college.

What are 3 words other people would use to describe you?

Energetic, inspired, original.

The power of social media in entrepreneurship is evident in your
success story. How did you use platforms like TikTok to propel
your brand, and what advice do you have for aspiring
entrepreneurs?

I think social media allows you to interact with your customers in a really special way, and for small brands or aspiring entrepreneurs, it creates a unique opportunity to connect with customers one-on-one. Instead of traditional marketing, we have been able to share more personal content, like asking for customer input or showing behind-the-scenes of some of our processes. Our most viral content has been raw behind-the-scenes footage of shoots, and content like this is what has allowed us to grow the way we have. 

But beyond that, different platforms allow for direct messaging and commenting back, letting me directly, easily, and personally chat with customers about any questions or comments. Being a small brand allows the opportunity to be in touch with your customer base, which is how I’ve been able to increase customer retention. Creating virality is amazing, but the goal is always to create a community and retain customers beyond a viral video.

Nil Sani by Alex Frank / Shotzbyalex

Your journey began with crafting ice skating competition dresses
at a young age. What shaped your perspective on fashion and
how has it influenced your designs?

Competition dresses are incredibly intentional, as they are by nature part of a performance. I think the same intentions ingrained in me by skating apparel have become fundamental in my design process.

The first intention with competition dresses is to be incredibly flattering, creating long lines and highlighting femininity and grace. In competition, this was to make your posture and technique look as elegant as possible. I think this most obviously translates to my designs in short skirts and low backs, which you would also see in most competitive skating apparel, and even training apparel.

The other intention with competition dresses is to set the scene and tell a story. I think this manifests in my design process as focusing on where the items are meant to be worn and the vision for styling. Since we are such a small brand and can only produce a few pieces at a time, it’s important to envision the future creatively, meaning thinking about shoots and overall content when creating the items itself, to have a story to convey in imagery, even with just a few pieces.

Charlotte Smurfit via Instagram 

Transitioning from a viral TikTok sensation to a thriving designer
must have come with its set of challenges. Can you elaborate on
some of the obstacles you faced along the way and how you
overcame them to establish "By Zoya" as a successful brand?

One of the biggest challenges that I think many young and aspiring designers face is creating a supply chain and learning the ins and outs of scaled production. I think this issue is somewhat heightened when starting a brand that is gaining traction on social media. While you can create buzz on social media, that doesn't translate to a solid business. I think it’s easy to get caught in the increase of demand due to social media, but trying to meet demand quickly can backfire. Creating a supply chain is where you transition from creating an item to scaling that and creating a business.

While I studied supply chains in school, trial and error has proven to be invaluable. Each year, I learn more about what production practices fit my design style and business model best. Your supply chain and production are where pricing, efficiency, sustainability, and quality are decided, really making it the heart of the business.

It’s hard to find the right balance, and while I’d like to think we have found our sweet spot, supply chains for small businesses are ever-changing. In the past, I’ve had manufacturers shut down mid-production, fabric be discontinued, or zippers be the wrong size. I think the biggest takeaways have been to expect that there will be obstacles and to always learn from them.

Nil Sani by Alex Frank / Shotzbyalex

You've experienced the fashion scenes of both New York and
Barcelona. How have these distinct environments influenced your
creative process, and what aspects of each city do you find most
inspiring for your designs?

Something I’ve always loved about New York is the ability to truly wear absolutely anything. While every city has its own cultures and general style norms, I find in New York you can take more risks without drawing more attention. For me, this created room for building personal style and experimenting more with clothing in general. I think the Barcelona style I’ve experienced mostly plays with silhouettes and colors very intentionally, still taking risks but in a balanced way. This has made me think more about color combinations, as well as silhouettes that can stand on their own. I think both the risk-taking looks from New York and the standout silhouettes of Barcelona have inspired my existing designs, as well as pieces coming out soon!

Your designs are described as more than just clothing; they're a
narrative of individuality and storytelling. Can you tell me about
some specific instances where your designs convey a particular
message, and how important is storytelling to you?

For me, storytelling is what makes the whole process fun beyond the clothes themselves. And I think that’s what people find enjoyable about clothes in general—it's really about the outfit planning, the getting ready, and the fun you have in the clothes, rather than just the items themselves. I think it’s fun to create these imagined scenarios of where the clothes will be worn and give them a life beyond a static picture. Using my hand-drawn graphics as well, it almost creates an original little imagined world for the item of clothing. I think it allows people to imagine themselves in the pieces better as well.

Zoya Garg by Vinyet Feliubadalo (Collage by Zoya)

Now based in Barcelona, what are your future aspirations for "By
Zoya"? Are there any milestones or projects you're excited about,
and how do you see your brand growing and evolving?

I really hope to continue expanding globally. We currently have customers all over the world, which is something I’ve always focused on. With this global aspect in mind, I hope to keep sharing what I make and hope people keep enjoying it! While I don’t have any big milestones in mind, project-wise I’m excited for our new pieces to come out early next year. Truly, this interview has been so much fun, and I hope to have more opportunities to share my thoughts in the future as well!

Follow Zoya on Instagram: @byzoyagarg or TikTok: @byzoya and visit her website byzoya.com.