No Love in New York

MEET ZOYA GARG, NYC IT-GIRL AND THE CREATIVE MIND BEHIND THE NEW CLOTHING LABEL, BY ZOYA.

The brand is quickly emerging into a new era of creativity and talent with her one of a kind graphics, knits, and reworked denim and leather (100% vegan!). With her pieces specifically crafted to reflect uniqueness and relatability, Zoya is entering the fashion world at full tilt. We had the pleasure of chatting with Zoya about her quest for self-expression, her design process, and her latest

22 collection: “No Love in N.Y.”, inspired by her adventures in the

city alongside her best friends.

Photos courtesy of Zoya Garg

Q: Zoya! I would love to hear about how you got started in the fashion industry. Where does your passion for art come from? Was it inherited or did it develop over time?

I’ve always had a passion for art and creativity. Even as a kid, I was always drawing instead of doing whatever I was really supposed to be doing, which my parents didn’t always love. Luckily, my parents were super supportive of my passion and love for art. My dad was an entrepreneur growing up and I always looked up to him. His positive encouragement of my art definitely helped with my confidence, and his entrepreneurial spirit definitely rubbed off on me. I have to credit my art teachers to that too, who always told me to follow a career in art. I also suppose in some ways, now that I think about it, I did inherit my creativity. My parents are both creative in their respective fields, and my mom did some art growing up. Q: Describe your style in 3 words or less Cheeky, bright, and shameless. Q: Walk us through your creative process! What influences your work, and where do you draw inspiration from? I draw all my inspiration from my amazing friends. From my daily life in New York to Hinge dates to club bathrooms, I try to turn funny situations and experiences into phrases or graphics that convey the emotion of the situation in a light-hearted way. Usually, I use art as a way of reflecting on something in my life or to bring a story or experience to life. I feel like this makes my art a lot more candid, which is why even when a graphic is super specific, it somehow resonates with a lot of people. When creating graphic prints I usually sketch something out and write out the phrase I like a few different ways until it sits right with me. Then, I draw it in pencil, go over it with a black pen, and finally scan it on my phone. Usually within the hour I have it all done and colorized on my laptop, ready to share. For my leather work it’s a bit more go with the flow. I usually sketch out a super quick drawing in my sketchbook and then look at the jacket to figure out placement styles. Then because it’s paint, I have to paint the shapes color by color and then put the black lines top at the end. Basically looks like blobs for days until right at the end when the black outlines bring it together. Q: Describe the ultimate By Zoya muse Definitely all my girlfriends, especially my roommate Zoe. I make all my stuff based on our stories, experiences, and life. I also try to make things that go with our lifestyle, stuff that goes with our closets (which we all basically share anyways). I try to stay true to my own personal style, which can be a little mismatched and random at times, but I think that’s what ultimately makes the look unique. Q: How have the significant events of 2020 shaped the “By Zoya” journey? I often use art to deal with difficult times or emotions in my life. I have phases where I won’t draw for a whole year, but I always go back to it as a mechanism of reflection and a way to relax myself. I started drawing a lot again during quarantine as I was faced with a lot of stress and anxiety in my life from the year before that I had been avoiding. I think the events of 2020 not only shaped By Zoya, but created it. I spent months at home building my portfolio and starting my brand, time I really never had before. I think also because people were spending so much time on social media, I was able to connect with people on a new level and really begin to share my art. Keep up with Zoya Garg and her fashion journey on Instagram @byzoyagarg. Shop her new collection www.byzoya.com