I had the pleasure to meet Aisha, the owner of Zathiya Lingerie in my quest for the alluring and exquisite S Turkusowe Kwiaty from Polish lingerie designer Ewa Michalak. I will be posting a review about that beauty soon, and the adventure that I embarked upon to add it to my collection ;). Since then, I have had the pleasure to build a wonderful relationship with Aisha. When I asked her to allow me to write a feature on her and her store for our blog, she didn’t hesitate. Below is my interview with this amazingly sweet and helpful woman, with whom I share a passion for Polish bras.
What influenced you to get into the retail lingerie business and how did Zathiya come to be?
Zathiya came about from my own experiences in finding bras for my fuller bust. Growing up in Ghana, I’d never owned a pretty and comfortable bra. That is, until I came across a Bravissimo shop in London in 1999. When I moved to Texas several years later, I quickly discovered that bras outside the core size range were something only specialty stores carried. Though, the specialty stores I found catered more to the plus-size range than to the full-bust range. My frustrations grew when my internet searches for bras or bathing suits in my size often came up with little-to-no desirable results. I was not only looking for a bra that fit, I was also looking for something pretty that would truly complement my figure by giving me a great shape. I figured I was not alone in this situation, so I decided to make full-bust bras more readily available in the U.S. to anyone who might see this as a benefit.
Where does the name “Zathiya” come from?
Zathiya is a derivative of the Hindi word “sathiya”, which can literally be translated to mean “companion”, “lover” or “friend”. It is my hope that my customers will find something they absolutely love in my store – be it a product or an overall good experience.
How long has Zathiya been open?
Zathiya opened officially in January 2015.
Do you have a storefront, or are you strictly online?
At present, we are an online–only boutique.
How do you find the majority of your customers?
The majority of our customers visit us by direct referrals from current customers, online ads and word-of-mouth.
What is the best way to contact you?
Please feel free to send me an email directly with your questions: aisha@zathiya.com or call: 409-242-0046
What makes you stand out from other lingerie retailers?
We are one of the very few businesses in the U.S. that carry the Polish brands Comexim and Ewa Michalak. We especially want to alleviate the process of shopping for full-bust lingerie by personally connecting with our customers and understanding their current issues in shopping for full bust pieces. It can be a daunting process, especially when you are new to or unfamiliar with the brand. We want you to help us help you. Do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
How often do you get new merchandise?
We try to move stock every 2 months and stagger buying for the different brands, so we that we can have new styles in every month.
Are you able to special order if someone is looking for something specific?
Yes, we are able to special-order items for our customers, but the options vary by brand. Comexim offers various alterations and customizations of their standard bras at any time. This, of course, depends on availability of the materials. We can also special-order Ewa Michalak styles, depending on availability.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
One of the things I really enjoy about my job is helping people find a fit they are comfortable in. I love that I can sometimes use my past experiences to help others find a bra solution.
What is your favorite thing about the lingerie industry?
Speaking as a consumer, I can truly appreciate how information made available by lingerie bloggers has helped me in making my lingerie buying decisions. As a retailer, I have had the opportunity of networking with some of these lingerie bloggers and I continue to appreciate their hard work.
What is the most common question that your customers ask regarding bra fitting?
Most customers contact me for sizing help. To be able to help, I ask for as much information as possible – what they currently wear in other popular brands, what their measurements are, their preferences, etc.
What is the most common problem that you see regarding bra fitting?
From talking with my customers, the most common problem I have come across is shape compatibility. Sometimes I use visual aids in my emails to help with explanations.
What is your favorite thing about Polish bras?
I have never really been a fan of the flattened, splayed look that some bras give. My favorite thing about Polish bras is in their inherent design with the narrow underwires and the projected look they offer.
Do you have your own personal favorite Polish bra? If so, who makes it and what is it?
What a difficult question! I don’t have any one favorite, but there are styles I like better than others. For example, I love the Comexim Basic bra. It is, hands down, my all-day, everyday bra. My other current favorites are Comexim Jacqueline, Ewa Michalak S Turkosuwe Kwiaty, Ewa Michalak S Diamente and a customized Anna Pardal Typhoon.
Do you have any hot, up and coming tips or advice for our readers?
If you love Polish bras, stick around with Zathiya. There are new Polish brands coming, and we are very excited about that!
What would you like our readers to know about you and your store?
We welcome all questions/comments/suggestions/criticisms/ideas etc. As a young store, we can really benefit from feedback from our customers.
Please be sure to visit Zathiya Lingerie, and let Aisha know that Tanzilove sent you. You wont regret it! Her customer service is amazing. She is quick to respond to your emails, and she truly does want to help you get your hands on (and your girls in) the best fitting bra for you 🙂 Aisha and I are working on another project as well, so be sure to follow and stay tuned!
~Tanzilove~
An Enhanced Experience 