TAUNYA ZILKIE
The Co-founder & Designer of ZETAYE
Interview by Jenny Leeser, Jenny and the City
Q&A
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU?
I’m Taunya Zilkie, the co-founder and designer of ZETAYE. I’m a creative at heart. I’ve always been drawn to beauty, style, and the way something visual can make you feel. Before fashion, much of my life was rooted in the creative world, so design felt like a natural evolution for me. ZETAYE is really an expression of everything I love: elegance, strength, romance, faith, and the idea that beauty can be deeply transformative.
WHAT’S A DAY IN YOUR LIFE LIKE?
No two days are ever exactly the same, which is both the beauty and the challenge of it. My days move between design, production, fabric decisions, fittings, emails, wholesale conversations, photo shoots, marketing, and constant problem solving. There is the glamorous side... beautiful clothes, editorials, and creative direction, but there is also the very real side of building a business: timelines, costs, manufacturing, shipping, and decisions all day long. One of the very best parts is getting to work alongside some incredible people who share my passion, drive, and determination. It’s creative chaos, but it’s mine — and I wouldn’t trade it.
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU CREATE ZETAYE?
I created ZETAYE in 2023 after feeling called to build something that reflected my own vision of luxury style: feminine, bold, romantic, and made with intention. I wanted to create pieces that felt special. Clothing that a woman puts on and instantly feels more beautiful, more confident, and more herself.
The brand officially began with that belief: that outer beauty can awaken inner strength and remind a woman of the beautiful, intentional creation she already is.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT FASHION?
I love that fashion can completely change how a woman feels. A dress is never just a dress when it makes someone stand taller, feel beautiful, or step into a room with more confidence. Fashion is emotional. It carries memory, mood, identity, and possibility. That is what I love most — the transformation.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO DESIGN A COLLECTION?
I’m inspired by romance, vintage details, old-world beauty, nature, travel, art, architecture, and strong women. Sometimes a collection begins with a fabric, sometimes with a silhouette, and sometimes with a feeling I want to capture. I’m always drawn to contrast... softness with strength, elegance with edge, femininity with confidence. Every collection begins as a vision and slowly unfolds into a story.
On a more practical level, I’m also very motivated by the idea of making beautiful clothing easier to wear. I love designing pieces that solve real problems for women, whether it’s a built-in bra, an extra-strong zipper, body-smoothing lining, or hardware that replaces the need for jewelry. To me, true luxury is not only about how something looks, but how effortlessly it allows a woman to feel amazing.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF YOUR COLLECTION?
The Avery Fleur Silk Dress is very close to my heart. The Italian silk, the dreamy rose garden print, the movement, the built-in bra and the way it delicately flows over the body... it really captures the feminine, romantic spirit of ZETAYE.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME ZETAYE?
ZETAYE came from the letters of my own name, Taunya Zilkie. I wanted something personal but elevated — a name that felt like a luxury house, not just a label. It needed to feel distinctive, feminine, and memorable, while still carrying a piece of me in it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?
I love the ocean, warm sunny days, beautiful architecture, good wine and incredible food, so many places come to mind! But my true favorite place in the world is where the people I love are and where my dogs are. That is where I find the most beauty, purpose and fulfillment.
Our understanding of the world is changing very rapidly these days and it definitely makes you re-examine your priorities. More than ever, I just want to be exactly where God wants me to be and doing what He wants me to do, loving, serving and enjoying those that are in my life. That’s my favorite place to be.
WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?
@taunyazilkie & @zetaye.thelabel