Meet Zoya Derman of Zoya Designs in Somerville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zoya Derman.

Zoya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In July 2010, I was invited to participate in one of the fabulous fashion events in Boston organized by a local event coordinator and I presented a small collection of 4 dresses, modeled by my sister and my friends. Then more fashion shows followed, and I was hooked on the idea of creating and sewing for the public, the idea that someone could be benefiting from my skills. I then decided to take a chance on opening my own boutique. In July 2012, with tremendous help of my now husband Konstantin, Zoya Designs opened its doors to the public on 1267 Broadway St, Somerville, MA.

The idea of the boutique was going to be everything sewing. We didn’t want to specialize on anything in particular, as I really enjoy the process of sewing and creating itself. It was a good move, as we get to see so many different projects, from wedding gowns, to ballroom dancing sparkling costumes, to home decor accents, and everything in between.

Meanwhile, after opening the boutique, I started receiving a lot of requests for a private sewing classes. A new idea was born – why not open a sewing school? And luckily, the space adjacent to the boutique became available which became home for Zoya Designs’ Sewing School in January 2016. We have a lot of fun teaching adults and kids how to sew; and as the popularity grows, we starting to open more and more times for the courses. It is very exciting to see how many people are now interested in what seems to be a dying art of sewing!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our main struggle was always hiring and expanding our team. I have a very particular requirement for the quality to come first above everything else – quality in sewing and quality in customer service. We are not doing anybody any favors, we are completely reliant on our clientele to stay in business, so it is very important for our clients to feel welcomed, treated warmly and with respect. Of course, we’ve had challenging situations within the 5 years we’ve been open where customer was not happy with us, but we always used those experiences as lessons to do better next time.

There is less and less artisans who are capable of the level of expertise our clients became accustomed to in Zoya Designs. I had a wonderful assistant who was from South Korea studying in the US and straight joined our team straight out of college. After her year with us, she had to go back to Korea, and, we worked on H1B work visa to get her back to work for ZD. It took us 3 years to receive a denial, which was very disappointing. So, to this day, expanding our team is the most challenging task.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Zoya Designs, INC – what should we know?
We specialize in quality sewing. We do a tremendous amount of bridal garments, but we are not a bridal store by any means. I’m happy to be a destination for the brides, but I do look forward to all other projects we can do here. This year, we have really expanded in custom design – we have lots of new requests for garments created from scratch, and I really enjoy that process. I am also happy to be teaching sewing, and most of my knowledge I draw from what we do day to day in our boutique.

I feel what sets us apart is the ability not to have to say no to any project. If we have time and funds to do it, we can pretty much create anything you want with fabric. I love re-designing vintage bridal gowns, it’s like working with history, and seeing the sentimental garment acquire a second life! The team we have are all creative people who are able to think outside of the box and come up with a unique way to make it work for a client. It is really great when the client feels they are in good hands and really gets into the process of creating with us. Saying “no” is typically not in our vocabulary when it comes to the possibilities of sewing and creating, and I think that’s what really sets us apart from others.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Quality and good communication with our customers. If we can have a good conversation about what they envision, and then provide an exceptional quality of that, it is the most rewarding experience for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1267-69 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144
• Website: www.zoyadesigns.com
• Phone: 6174750470
• Email: zoya@zoyadesigns.com
• Facebook: ZoyaDesigns
• Yelp: Zoya Designs

Image Credit:
Photos by Zoya and/or Konstantin Derman