A Small Business On A Mission
Welcome to the Defiantly Rogue Shop!
I am Zay, an artist and designer. I cosplay, do costume design and make origami hearts to spread love and positivity! Art is how I express myself and connect with the world. I started the store in 2020, but I didn't have a long term plan on what to do with my store and didn't have the know-how to run the store until the Spring of 2023 when I began cosplay judging and was looking for another job.
I am a multitalented artist and designer. I started art classes before I was even able to read and never really stopped learning new skills and taking on new challenges. I have skills in sewing, pattern making, painting, fashion modeling, jewelry design/ crafting, product design and so many more that I can't remember off the top of my head. My art is my life and passion and I love it! Oh! I don't have a studio at the moment, my dining table, living room and bedroom are my work areas. Perhaps with some luck, I will get one eventually but right now I work with my ginger cat beside me and he is the best assistant ever. (=^-^=)
Producing art that brings my customers joy is what makes me happy. I want my buyers to feel appreciated and loved. In fact, when I started this company in 2020 I was handing out origami hearts to strangers in the subway and that joy it brought them made me realize that there was more I could do in my life. I still hand out origami hearts anonymously on the NYC subway and remind the people that they are loved and appreciated.
In this age of technology I feel like we forget the individual and during the pandemic I became especially aware of how isolation was effecting people. I wanted to find a way to spread positivity so one day I began personally folding origami hearts and in one day I made over 200 and the very next day I brought them to local cafes and vaccination sites so that they could be distributed to the public with the message to "remember that you are loved and appreciated". I want to brighten people's day and remind people that they are seen. I believe that I don't have to know the person to remind them that they are valued.
I hope you like my artwork, and my mission. Your support for my small business is greatly appreciated. Thank you for browsing my store. Have a wonderful day!
