Inside Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle, Transcend is rewriting what a clothing store can be. Founded by Nazia Siddiqui, the studio blends sustainable retail, custom tailoring, and small-batch production under one roof, all grounded in a deep skepticism of fast fashion. Nazia opened the physical space in October 2025 after nearly five years operating online. We sat down with her to talk about bazaars, bombers, and spending like it matters.
Where did the idea for Transcend come from?
The inspiration goes back to my childhood days living in India with my family. I remember going to the bazaars when we needed new clothes, and it was a very different shopping experience. My mom is also a seamstress, so our experience making clothes or getting new outfits was essentially making it from scratch. Going to the bazaars meant I could select the fabrics I wanted and really envision, as a young person, design that outfit for myself. And the connection that I had with those clothes was such a huge contrast to the kind of connection that I later noticed I did not have when shopping at malls.
As I grew up and understood more of the story, why the supply chain was so hidden, why we were shopping so much, we had so many things in our closet but we weren’t necessarily enjoying them. That’s what led to the creation of Transcend and what it looks like today.
What’s the meaning behind the name?
The reason I arrived at this particular name is because of trying to do things very differently and constantly, in so many different spaces, wanting to rise above what the status quo was. It’s really important to me not to just follow blindly as far as what exists, what are the norms, but instead to reevaluate and question why I’m doing some things the way I am. The name Transcend is really an anchor in all decision making. It allows us to question everything, reevaluate, and do things very differently.
What have you enjoyed about having a physical space?
To be able to go talk to customers immediately when they’re making a purchase, to have that visibility, has been just incredible. The customers that we’ve been able to meet and find through this space have made it such a learning opportunity. Folks have just embraced this concept.
One of my favorite things to do is just sit quietly and hear people as they’re entering, as they’re noticing the store, and just hear their comments. It’s a lot of oohs and aahs and a lot of just awe of what this concept is. And we’ve made the flow super easy. As they pass through the retail side, they also see, because it’s very open in the layout, the back room, which is the production area. Oftentimes you’ll see seamstresses working there, and you’re welcome to come and talk to them, learn more about what they’re working on and what we do.
Intentionalist’s motto is “spend like it matters.” What does that mean to you as a business owner?
I love that so much. I think it speaks volumes of what Transcend is about. Our business model is really trying to make this engine work. The engine is not just retail where you can come shop for products, but things that can be made by folks who are so talented in our local community. To be able to have more opportunities to hire more of them, create more jobs, that’s really where your money goes. I see a very direct and tangible benefit to people’s lives who are part of our community and contributing in such a positive way.
What can people expect to find when they shop at Transcend?
From the beginning, we have been very focused on natural fibers and staying away from polyesters or synthetics that are petroleum derived. When you come into the store, you’ll find dresses, outerwear, coats. Everything is a statement, they’re not basic. We like to say that our customers will find pieces that are as unique as them. It’s all about showing up as you are and leaning into your personality.
One of my favorite pieces are definitely the reversible bombers. They have just taken a life of their own and folks have just embraced them. And we are working on upcycle collections that are FIFA-inspired, thinking about what’s happening in our communities culturally and making sure we are speaking to the customers that are looking for those products.
How does Transcend approach sizing and fit?
My goal from the start was to have as many sizes as my manufacturers would allow. It was such a struggle to try to convince them to do beyond the four sizes that are standard in the industry. But we ended up doing up to a size 20, and that equates to about seven different sizes here at Transcend today. In general, our standard sizing goes from extra small to 3XL. However, we totally recognize that that does not incorporate a lot of different body types, petites and tall, and sizes beyond that range.
Our custom studio can be the solution for that. Customers can feel excited about creating something tailored to them. It could be one of our existing silhouettes, or something totally custom tailored to you and your body.
Tell us about the production studio side of the business.
When we were setting up our local production studio in Seattle downtown, our goal was to make it accessible to as many businesses and individuals as possible. So not only do we provide services directly to customers where they can come and repair clothing they already have, create custom bespoke pieces, or upcycle with us, but we also offer services to smaller brands who perhaps don’t want to go produce overseas.
Instead of going to a far-off country where you don’t have control over your own production, you can come to us and work with our seamstresses and myself, and really get visibility and transparency on every step of the production and sampling process. We also offer our upcycling and small-batch production services to local organizations that, as part of their supply chain, inevitably end up with textile waste that’s generated or aggregated.
What are you most excited about right now?
For Earth Month, we are partnering with Evergreen Goodwill to create an upcycle collection and a runway presentation of pieces that we’ve picked from their own supply chain. Usually these are things that do not sell through at Goodwill and end up in the blue bins. Essentially, these are items that would inevitably end up in landfills. Our whole purpose in that production studio is to divert textile waste, so this seems to be the perfect way to showcase the possibilities when we bring back into circulation reusable, high-quality materials and give them a new life. I hope people love it.
What would you say to someone who hasn’t visited yet?
Please come by. We’re so excited to show you around, and you will just walk away feeling so energized and happy because of all the joyous colors and textures that we have.
You can find Transcend at Pacific Place Mall in Seattle!
