Zoya was extremely rude and unprofessional. I went in there in hopes to have a quick consultation and then a fitting, but she was not willing to consult at all. I went in there for my bridal gown, which is critical to point out, in hopes to have a pleasant encounter and get some help from an expert with how I can best alter and improve the fit of my dress. Instead, she was rude, told me I should go elsewhere and literally berated me in the store. There are better ways to handle customers, if you don't agree with them, but her demeanor was anything but pleasant. Her work may be good, but her attitude was not, and for that reason I will not be using her services. read more

Zoya is amazing! I had this gown that needed to be let out and due to the way it was made, that was not possible. Zoya was super creative and installed a corset backing and shortened the zipper so that I could still wear the dress and be able to allow for future weight fluctuations if needed. I love the dress even more than I already did. Bonus, that her prices are extremely reasonable. I will definitely return if i need other work done. read more

Just had a great experience at Zoya. I had a designer dress tailored and taken in here. Everything looks perfect. Very polite young girl helped me. Job well done. read more

The beginner class exceeded my expectations. The space is fully stocked and comfortable, the class well organized and Zoya strikes the perfect balance between clearcut instruction and encouraging autonomy. Useful documentation was also included. read more

Rejecting a customer without seeing what the work is poor customer service. A friend of mine recommended Zoya Designs and spoke very highly of them. I called today to make an appointment for simple work to be done on my dress. Unfortunately, I was rejected without her even seeing the dress and how simple it would be. I even offered to bring in my dress to have her see it and she declined. She didn't even offer an sort of assistance and refused to make an appointment with me. That is poor business etiquette and a disappointing experience as I was looking forward to working with her. read more

I took my 9 year old daughter for 2 days of sewing camp for 2 hours each day. She really enjoyed it! Zoya had 2 other students and they were able to get quite a bit done in the two hour increments. We would definitely go back! read more

Zoya is amazing!! I recently purchased a very expensive latin dance costume for my first Dancesport competition in Miami. The costume had been originally custom made for a 5' 1" professional dancer. I was in a panic as to how this costume was going to fit my 5'6", very curvy frame! Zoya was able to fit it to my body like a second skin. It looked amazing and it moved beautifully. I won first place in all my categories. Since then, Zoya has reconstructed my husband's 15 year old Armani tux. It looks like a brand new European tux. She has altered at least six dresses and gowns for me as well. This talented lady can do anything. She's professional, affordable, and very FAST! She'll be designing a new dance costume for me and I can't wait to see the finished product. I hope someday she may design and create my daughter's wedding gown. Zoya Designs delivers as promised. read more

I got a sewing machine for Christmas and was wondering where to take classes and lo and behold I saw the cutest Design Studio/Sewing School one day when driving in Somerville, Zoyas Sewing School on Broadway. It was exactly what I was looking for so I signed up for a 6-week course for beginners, to refresh my sewing skills and then after that an Intermediate Alterations and pattern making class. The classes I attended were up to 8 people, so we each got a lot of individual attention. And, Zoya (owner) was good in that if someone truly didn't know what was going on, she would ask them to talk with her later, she didn't slow down the classes to help someone who wasn't at the skill level of the class. I could go on for pages telling exactly what was in each lesson, but that would be too much. I made an apron, altered men's pants, created patterns, installed zippers, altered clothes, cut and began to sew my nightgown. It was worth the money and time invested. I would attend her school again if she offers something else I could use. read more

I had a "vintage" fringe dress, 25 years old. The years were not good to it and it showed. Although I didn't hold out much hope, it was an old favorite. I made an appointment with Zoya. She immediately told me what she could do. The following week should have been just a followup fitting, but to my surprise, the dress was ready. The workmanship on the difficult design and less than perfect condition was nothing less than "magic". She is the ultimate professional. Zoya certainly under promised and over delivered. I can't wait to go back for a "Zoya" original blazer. But I'll need to wait until after her show at Fashion Week Boston. Carol F read more

I came to Zoya assuming that my dress needed only a hem. The dress fit well enough, I thought (and so did all who saw it on me). Zoya looked at my dress and was able to make alterations that were so flattering! She also provided great (and honest) advice about my sash choices and options for train/shoulder/etc. She was very realistic about time allowed and was great about making sure all the alterations were complete in time for my visits. I would HIGHLY recommend this place. You don't get this kind of service at any other alteration places I've been to! read more

Zoya altered my tuxedo and tuxedo shirt for my upcoming wedding and I couldn't be more pleased. I'm not an expert on tailoring prices but everything seemed reasonable to me. Most importantly the tuxedo looks great! I'll definitely go back here in the future for any alterations I need. read more

Zoya altered my wedding dress to fit me perfectly and added a few structural elements. She listened carefully to what I wanted and made excellent suggestions based on the dress style and my figure. She was lovely to work with and I'd definitely use her again. read more

As a rookie bridesmaid; the youngest, largest and poorest member of my cousin's bridal party, I begrudgingly bought my overpriced David's Bridal dress. Because my body is too confusing for DB's standard sizes, I had to buy a size up and then get it tailored down. Zoya has great reviews and is actually around the corner from my apartment so it seemed like a perfect fit. And now my dress is too! I made the first available appointment, a few weeks later I came in with my dress and discussed my many insecurities with Zoya and her assistant Katie. They were very patient with me and addressed all my concerns. I mostly worked with her assistants who are all very sweet and talented. With a follow up fitting and one more minor adjustment the whole process took about two months. The prices on their website are a good indication of how much you'll end up spending. These ladies performed major surgery on my dress and I'm extremely satisfied with the outcome. read more

I found Zoya when I was looking for someone to alter a wedding dress I hadn't purchased yet. Once I read the reviews and talked to her it was clear that it made more sense for me to just have her make my dress for me. What a fantastic decision! For the same price as the dress I liked (before alterations - so it would actually have been more expensive) I ended up with a custom made dress in beautiful, high quality fabric. AND, I was 6 months pregnant on the day of my wedding and she was still able to get the fit perfectly. I got so many complements on my dress and only wish I could wear it all the time - it is seriously the most comfortable formal dress I have ever worn. I will definitely be back to Zoya with any future alterations on other clothing! read more

Zoya saved my wedding dress! I bought a designer dress off the rack at a bridal store (no refund and 3 sizes too large), knowing it needed significant alterations. Zoya met with me in four sessions to make sure that it fit perfectly. Her prices were more than reasonable for the high quality of work that she did, and the level of detail needed for the gown (lace and beads). Before I found the dress, I was having a hard time finding one that I liked. I consulted with Zoya about making a wedding dress. Her design work from scratch is beautiful. It was luck that I found The Dress shortly after meeting with her about design work. She ended up saving the one I bought anyway! read more

Great, no nonsense service! I am a dude and had my suit and pants tailored here prior to a wedding. The person behind the counter (Zoya?) made me feel at ease and took my measurements. The alterations were well done and done on time which was critical for me. Good price, good service! read more

Can't believe how awesome this place is. Katie was so sweet, and so skilled. She did my wedding dress--took it in, shortened it and added a bustle. The price was the lowest, too, for such skill! I thought for sure that the price would be higher than the other hole-in-the-wall tailors and seamstresses I had visited in Central Square and in Belmont. But no! Zoya Designs is a lovely, bright, and big space, and yet has the most competitive prices. Katie got my dress to fit me perfectly in just two visits. I highly recommend. read more

I had my wedding dress altered by Zoya and I couldn't have been more happy with the experience. I bought an off the rack, as-is sample and Zoya and her assistants fixed some small snags and damage spots I didn't notice, and fit it like a dream. The dress had an under layer, and a full lace dress on top and they fit both pieces perfectly. I requested them to hem it slightly longer than they usually do, and it was the perfect length. Zoya and her team were so friendly and talented and made the whole thing a stress-free and enjoyable experience (you need some of those during wedding planning!). I would recommend them to anyone -- in fact this is my first review and made sure I wrote one because they were that good! read more

Poor customer service, unfriendly employees. I called to learn about tailoring for a semiformal dress and the woman who answered the phone refused to give me any information about their pricing or services. She deflected every question I had about the categories listed on their website and made every attempt to end the call before answering my questions. She clearly knew that I was not calling about an expensive service and treated me like a lower class citizen. Very disappointing. read more

Fast, friendly, and she managed to get a flower girl dress that was two-sizes too small to fit my daughter in just a few days. It's lovely and I commend her to you. read more

Did incredible work for a memorial pillow for our dog. Very friendly, great price and extremely easy to work with. Thank you!

Thanks for all the great reviews here they brought me to a wonderful place for sure! I called Zoya for last minute help on a dress I needed altered for a wedding. She fit me in to her busy schedule without making me feel like an imposition. She did a beautiful job and had my dress ready on time! Also, the shop is a beautiful space that has old, charming architectural details but is bright and airy, organized and clean. 5 stars, I will be back! read more

I had driven by Zoya's dress shop several times and kept wishing I had time to go in. Finally, I stopped by one night. Even though she was about to close, she stayed and helped me. I needed a custom dress for a fancy event at work in Los Angeles. Zoya and I worked out the design, sketched, chose fabric, she gave me a cost, we scheduled fittings and boom- the whole thing was in motion. She was able to accommodate me with a 10-day turn-around. I have since gone back to her with other projects- curtains, another dress, pillows. What I love about working with Zoya is not just that she is meticulous, but she is also thoughtful and passionate about her work. She will really take the time to think and consider each change, discuss it with you. She cares about what she does and it shows. I never feel like she is on "autopilot". Next I am bringing her my favorite work pants to have 4 more pair made just like it with her. I plan on working with Zoya for years to come!!! read more

Do not be fooled by the spectacular yelp reviews or the beautiful pictures of dresses on Zoya Designs' website. My experience with this business was horrendous. Zoya failed to keep the first appointment I made with her. She claimed that she scheduled me on her day out of the office. I decided that her reviews made it worth giving her a second shot. Today was our rescheduled appointment. As soon as I walked in, I was met with a cold greeting. As I began to talk with Zoya about my ideas for a custom wedding dress, she insisted that I needed to give her a specific image of what I wanted. Because I am not a designer (or even fashioned inclined), I thought I could bring pictures of ideas I had and with her expertise, we could have a productive discussion of what would work best for the dress (especially since I wanted to use part of my mother's wedding dress). She ended the appointment abruptly by saying she could not design my wedding dress. If anyone is a looking for a creative designer with decent customer service skills and a basic sense of professionalism, DO NOT CHOOSE ZOYA DESIGNS. read more

I went to Zoya's several weeks ago to get alterations done on my wedding dress. There were quite a few things that needed altering... it needed to be hemmed; fabric needed to be taken out of both sides of the dress since it was much too large; bra cups needed to be added; a beaded sash needed to be sewn on; and I wanted to convert the neckline (which was straight across on a strapless dress) into a less common "keyhole" shape. The girls at Zoya's flew through every alteration but the last one... which looked like it couldn't be done because there wasn't enough scalloped lace edging to accommodate the new neckline I wanted without the dress looking less than optimal. However, they did not give up! After much contemplation, they were able to take what they needed from another part of the dress without affecting the look of anything, and the neckline came out beautifully! Well, the whole dress came out beautifully (and on time). It fit perfectly on my wedding day, and looked fantastic. Given the amount of work required for my dress, I thought the price was pretty reasonable. More than that, I was impressed by their resourcefulness in finding a way to make my dress look just the way I wanted--not to mention their patience during a job that took much more time than expected during peak wedding busyness in May/June. Highly recommended! read more

I went to Zoya to have my wedding dress altered. I believe one of Zoya's assistants did most if not all of the work that was done - hemming the dress, tightening the bustline, and creating a bustle. She (or they) also altered a lace "topper" that had a delicate floral pattern. I don't know too much about alterations, but the work seemed generally well done - especially given the complexity of the pattern on the topper. They did a great job with that. They seem quite busy, however, and I felt that the assistant's patience wore thin by the time I had my last fitting - I wasn't sure about some things about my dress and asked about additional alterations, but she seemed a little reluctant to help or perhaps just wanted to be done with the dress. Understandable though. I actually also wanted to hem the train, but because of the way the assistant reacted to me expressing the idea, I felt reluctant to "trouble" them with the job. They also made a mistake with my bustle, so I ended up having to wait 20-30 minutes while the assistant essentially re-did the bustle. A loop on the bustle unraveled two times (once in the store, and again on my wedding day), which was rather disappointing and made me question the quality of the bustle. Still, I'm not sure if a different alterer would have done much better, and I think your wedding dress would be in safe hands here, as long as you give them enough time. read more