New Designer Adam Zaka Shares His Secrets

Hailing from Texas, Adam Zaka is a trailblazer in modern men’s fashion. He has created a myriad of inspired designs, but he didn't always want to be a designer. Originally, Zaka was a male model. FINE Magazine spoke with Adam Zaka about his experiences within the modeling world, his transition into being a designer, Divino Man, and his plans for the future.

Hollywood Dreams in Men's Fashion

Adam Zaka was not always in pursuit of creating a fashion line, but started off in the industry as an aspiring male model. "It all began when I was 15 years old," he recalls. "I would always look at Models.com and envy all the male fashion models." The minute high school ended, he moved out to Los Angeles to pursue a modeling career.

After getting signed with a large men’s model agency, he describes his time modeling as "quite an experience." He recounts almost moving into a model apartment the agency attempted to place him in. When Zaka arrived at the apartment, his high expectations shattered. He saw a filthy apartment and a soiled mattress. "What I really came to learn was that even though these institutions have a mirage-like appeal of being posh and grandeur, what’s really behind it all is that dirty, soiled mattress." This epiphany led him to realize that he needed to stop pursing work for others and rather, he said, "take what I inherently have and put that out into the world."

Instead of being discouraged, he used his experiences in Los Angeles to create and star as Christian Vain in the comedy short "Vain." The video was, Zaka said, "about a narcissistic high fashion male model with a big ego, and his ego leads him to burn all the bridges in his stature as a celebrity." Cutting his former dream short, Zaka, a multifaceted creator, used all his creative resources to move on and follow new dreams. 

The Big, the Bold and the Unique Divino Man

After his stint as a model, Adam Zaka headed back to Texas and took his career in a whole different direction. He started an architectural rendering firm and a creative ad agency, but after a year and a half, he yearned to create again. That is when Divino Man was born, and he became, "inspired with the concept of creating a couture line." He began sourcing materials from a local design center frequented by interior designers in the area. He found fabrics for his new Divino Man collection from all over the world and created a whole couture collection. A year later, he released his second Divino Man collection: a ready to wear line that featured button up polo shirts he manufactured in Pakistan. 

With current influences from flashy Dolce and Gabbana ad campaigns to inspiration from the "male soul," Zaka describes his influences as constantly changing. His ready-to-wear collection features bright, silky materials that at first glance are fun, outrageous pieces. At second glance, the pieces represent more than meets the eye. "It’s not really about creating pieces that are feminine for men," Zaka explains, "but I feel as though men hide behind machismo or represent themselves as a gym guy, which I used to do myself. But I feel like it’s not natural. I feel like men are just as fluid as women, and men really need to open their hearts and spirits to what they really want in this life and stop living to conformity. My biggest influence is helping men realize their true sense of nature."

Another influence he cites is the concept of artistic history, focusing on "Neoclassical aesthetics."  

Adam Zaka: A Jack of All Trades

Adam Zaka says his collections have been received "very well" by the fashion world. He has been featured in a "Future Rising Stars of Fashion" piece from SOMA magazine, and his work has been compared to Kenzo and Michael Kors. There is no doubt Zaka is blurring the lines between gender in Fashion. He even recalls a time when his pieces were displayed in the window of his tailor in Pakistan’s establishment. Women came in to pick up their clothes and were drawn to his pieces. "The women asked if they were women’s clothes and I was like no they are not! It all boils down to blurring those gender lines and creating acceptance. Men should be able to wear clothes that have a feminine appeal." 

He credits his success to the fact that he is self-taught. "Often times, we put our work and our values in the hands of other people, not realizing that the creative source lies within ourselves. I am a very firm believer that you never need to pay anyone in this world to learn anything," Zaka emphasizes. 

His next collection will turn toward more form-fitting attire that is both "beautiful in outward appearance and comfortable." He zeroed in on his lack of conformity in the fashion world and discussed his desire for his pieces to resonate with the "99% of people who aren’t in the high fashion circuit." 

A jack of all trades, Adam Zaka is making a splash in the creative world using several different outlets to bring artistic inspiration to the masses. Whether it’s architectural design, digital design, or fashion design, his creative future in men's fashion looks bright. 

Adam Zaka is currently inviting interns to have the opportunity to work with him this spring, if interested send resumes to contacto@divinoman.com. To learn more about Adam Zaka’s various companies, projects, and social media presence visit his sites and accounts for a more in depth look.