Today we’d like to introduce you to Olga Assayah.
Hi Olga, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Fashion design was always a dream job for me. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine and moved with my mother to the US when I was 5 years old. My family was always hoping for me to be in a stable, honorable job in medicine. I attended the University of Utah and earned a Bachelor’s in Biology, destined to follow the family path. As luck would have it, I was 8th on the waiting list for Medical School and didn’t get in. Thinking I would switch to Physical Therapy, I was browsing the Salt Lake Community College website when I stumbled across the Fashion Institute. What started with curiosity and taking one class lead me to complete the program and create a graduation collection I wanted to produce. At that point, I had been sewing as a hobby since I was 13 so designing and creating came naturally to me. I started my brand Zaiya Collection about 10 years ago. Our company mission was to create high-quality clothing constructed from the finest materials in innovative yet practical designs for life. Our goal, which proved very difficult, was to keep production local. Over the years we have evolved from creating small collections sold at boutiques and producing fashion shows, to making one of a kind pieces for custom clothing clients.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
After graduating from the Fashion Institute, I was hoping to produce a couple of pieces from my graduation collection. Unfortunately, as I began to research local factories, it required a hefty investment and a minimum order of 300 pieces per look. I wasn’t sure where I could sell such a number of dresses at the required price point to make it a worthy investment. Instead, I decided to hand make each order that I sold. Obviously, this was time-consuming and limited growth, but we were running on a shoestring budget and the company was not making enough money to justify the investment. I had gotten married just before launching the brand and thankfully my husband was very supportive of my endeavors. Marketing was the next biggest struggle. Despite attending many networking events and producing fashion shows our growth was slow. Looking back, I wish we had learned about Instagram for business sooner. We had already created a Facebook page and thought that was enough. It is crazy to think that social media was just beginning 10 years ago! I was lucky to have several great interns help throughout the years, but it was and is still very difficult to run all the components of the business and maintain a social media presence.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When I create a collection, my approach to fashion design is to begin with the fabric. I find inspiration in the color, texture and drape and let it guide me to the final look. When clients come to me for a custom piece, I ask to look at a few pictures of things they like and a general look they are going for. This helps me understand their esthetic, and choose the right fabric. Once we settle on a design, I take measurements and create a pattern specific to their body. At this point, I’ll cut the fabric and begin sewing to create their garment. They return for 2 – 3 fittings depending on the fit and complexity of the piece. The last fitting is always to place the zipper and mark the hem. My best work comes out when the client trusts me to make design choices with them along the way. I’m proud that I have the technical knowledge beyond most designers who just sketch ideas to be able to create clothing from start to finish. It is always satisfying when a person feels amazing in my clothing and sends me pictures from their event. The best compliment I received was from a client who said she loved the gown I made her more than her wedding dress.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk taking in fashion design can lead to some interesting outcomes. I like to sometimes challenge myself by using a small quantity of fabric to make something amazing. Most of it happens while draping and pinning on the mannequin. The good part about risk in fashion is that it can always be adjusted or redone if it doesn’t look right.
Pricing:
- My rate for custom clothing is $30 an hour. For reference, a custom skirt usually takes 4 hours to pattern and create.
- Private sewing lessons $30 / hour.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ZaiyaCollection.com
- Instagram: @ZaiyaCollection
- Facebook: Facebook.com/ZaiyaCollection
Image Credits
Jeremy Assayah
