Meet Isaiah Wallis of From Zay W/Love

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaiah Wallis

Hi Isaiah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started upcycling my own clothes by doing different textile treatments and hand sewing repairs on denim I wore. After receiving compliments, I then decided to sell my items. I started with reconstructing T-shirts and printing. As some time passed I began selling upcycled jeans through my brand’s website. I gained a passion for sustainable fashion as I learned more about the industry at Cal Poly Pomona as a student in their Apparel Production major. At university, I sharpened my clothing production skills by participating in yearly fashion and continuing my work for From Zay W/Love. This had led me to where I am now with a matured skill set and a better understanding of what it takes to design apparel products in the US.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it still isn’t a smooth road. Working in the fashion industry is difficult and there are so many factors that come into play when making a garment that mistakes can happen. A big struggle is finding the right materials to be sustainable and defining how you are sustainable, so it is more than just a word. Researching dye stuffs and sourcing garments by the fiber content to find the right garments to upcycle is challenging and then you need to know how to alter the garment to create something of higher value than before. Basically each garment has it’s own obstacles but that’s part of what makes the process so rewarding at the end. All these challenges don’t even account for the process of selling your finished product.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about From Zay W/Love?
From Zay W/Love is a business focused on giving new life to old clothing. I specialize in upcycling second hand clothing with textile treatments and clothing alterations with the hope of inspiring people to get creative with the old clothing instead of buying new. I offer a variety of 1 of 1 items and repeated designs in a Black American style through my website wloveclothing.com . When you visit my website you’ll see that what sets me apart are the colors used for my textiles and the duration of the cuts I use.

I continuously push myself to create better by dyeing better, reconstructing clothing in different ways and find materials that better align with my vision of creating a healthier fashion brand. I see each item as a form of wearable sculpture so people see clothing as valuable artworks.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think the three ways I would recommend are events, social media, and education/internships. Events are a good way to talk to people about your work and see how it affects people you meet. Social media is great for closing the distance you may have between you and a like minded person. Education and internships are great places to learn and meet people who have done the things you are dreaming of and get people familiar with your work as a designer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Wloveclothing.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/wlove.co

Image Credits
On Instagram @fashionsocietycpp fashion show hosts @0melette.jog photographer