Conversations with Rebecca Zaizay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Zaizay.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
So I have always loved fashion. I’ve always been drawn to the arts. I think well I know it’s definitely because of my dad that it was nurtured. In our family my dad is the biggest fashionista , besides me of course , but he walked so I could run. I would always go shopping with him and we would come back home and do a little fashion show. I would go into my room trying on my clothes and had to come out and then I’d strut the runway and I’d be like look I’m a model. He would also always be like you know like you’re going to be a model one day so we’d always like pose and he would pose too because he would be like living out his model dreams he’s so funny. I feel like I really get my drive from my mom who is a really strong, stubborn intentional and family oriented woman. Growing up when I was in middle school my childhood best friend and I we would have $20 to spend every Friday we’d go to the mall and we’d window shop. Try on clothes and we’d go and get pho. And it was like starting a tradition for us of being fashionable people and we also were very into art and she was really into makeup so naturally, I was in to make up too. She taught me a lot about the club kids scene in the 90s and we were very into drag, so I was very inspired by the career community from a young age. It was in my sophomore year of high school where I really started to delve into experimental sounds and movement in terms of dance and videography. FKA twigs, Sophie, Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, and Beyoncé are women that I really looked up to and still do. They’re women who created art that I really resonated with. So in 2020, I had so much time to think you know we all thought the world was ending and I was 16 so I definitely thought the world was ending, but I was like OK if there’s one thing I wanna do is to tap into who I am. At that time I was in the process of quitting gymnastics, and I was really far into the sport, but I did not feel like I resonated with that culture and that environment anymore. One of my close friends in high school had passed away just a couple of months before Covid so I really got into the realm of spirituality. It felt like such an odd time of darkness and beauty for me because I was finally at of place where I get to choose what I resonate with while dealing with loss, but the sequence of events really drove my spirituality and set my mindset for who I am. My mom had always really emphasized owning a business and being an independent woman making money for myself. So I developed a business plans for myself and discovered that I wanted to start a brand. If there was one thing I knew about myself it was that I loved clothes and I loved shoes and I loved bags. I almost didn’t wanna go to college, but my parents are very African and Middle Eastern so I went to scad. Honestly, I am so grateful that I went and here I am now. Now I design clothes that are intentional they have meaning, and they carry my ancestral heritage with each collection that I put out which is really important for me to honor my ancestors..

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has been a beautiful one that I am still driving down. Some of the biggest struggles were mental blocks and pushing through bad habits to create new ones. I am really into neuroscience and mental health, because the mind is a powerful place. It is so important and essential to have a relationship with your own mind because I’ve seen what it’s like when you don’t. Neuroplasticity is an area that I am fascinated with, because you have the ability to expand and change the way your brain works and functions. Getting through these mental blocks and challenges, I decided to create new habits for myself to regulate my nervous system and create space for my own creativity without burnout..

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in women’s wear and in leather. I am known for working with transparent leather, tattooing leather, as well as developing my own latex fabric. I am on the road to making so many more cunty heels and collections. I am most proud of my continuous drive. I think most people would pick moments out of their career and that almost felt like something I wanted to say but the thing that created that moment and so many other moments for me was my drive. It comes from a source within that is trust in the universe and feeling safe to keep going, even when no one is understanding the vision because of my ancestors. The women in my family survived and fought hard to succeed so I could be here today. So when I looked back at all of my successful moments, I feel proud that I just kept going, even when I couldn’t see what was ahead of me. Like recently, my full circle moment where I had where my heels from my senior collection that I made in collaboration with one of my best friends, was on FKA twigs at her Coachella day, one set in the finale. I think what sets me apart from others is my work with unconventional textiles, and my experimental vision when it comes to fashion.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
There’s so many memories, but I think one of my favorite childhood memories was when I first experienced euphoria. It was when I first got my license and me and my best friend would drive around everywhere. This one morning we decided to wake up really early and just drive and watch the sunrise. We had waves playing by Kanye West down this open road in Texas in May so it was warm, but the mornings were a little misty and it was perfect. I just remember always wanting to chase that moment ever since because it was truly so beautiful.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/reb6cca
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccazaizay/