What is

Chayah?

Meet Founder Zakiya Nicole

My name is Zakiya, and Chayah defines my life’s work when it comes to fashion and how I interact with the people in my life.

Chayah by definition to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live for ever, be quickened, be restored to life.

For as long as I can remember, I have prided myself in turning heads with my unique fashion statements and sense of style.

As early as elementary school, I sought out ways to visually express myself through fashion. It was always important for me to find ways to revamp an old fashion piece, whether it was by adding shoe laces to the thigh of an old pair of jeans or by making cut outs in a shirt that was not so stylish.

It was in high school that I discovered my love for revamping clothes from my grandmother’s closet and pairing it with something contemporary. I even wore a one of kind dress from the late 70’s to my senior prom.

My love for unique fashion pieces is what got me into treasure hunting and finding revival fashion pieces by shopping at places such as consignment stores, secondhand stores and vintage stores to find one of a kind pieces to bring back to life and I knew this was something I wanted to provide to other people. However, my vision has evolved and I have found a larger purpose for my passion, which is what you see now with the movement! Chayah focuses on providing sustainable fashion choices, that make a statement. It's a lifestyle, not just a trend!