Clothing entrepreneur brings brand home to Monroe, paves way for young designers

One met him at a pop-up shop. Another was introduced to him by a friend. A third knew of each other while attending different high schools.

Now all three say young Black business entrepreneur Zay Turnage, 22, of Monroe is finding success with his clothing brand —  The Chosen Few Threads — and paving their way to success, too.

“He is so vocally supporting artists and people doing things for themselves, and just bringing up his community,” said Jonathan Ruelle, 24, who met Turnage  at a pop-up shop near Eastern Michigan University about two years ago.

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Ruelle showed Turnage a few shoe sketches that he’d made, and six months later, they were working together on a soon-to-be released collaboration. 

“He’s one of those people (who) provides opportunities and is not one to be guarded with his potential influence of stuff that he could provide for others.”

Finding an opportunity at home

Turnage grew up in Monroe but started The Chosen Few Threads clothing brand in 2018 after dropping out of EMU. “The Chosen Few” concept was something Turnage and his friends developed while in Monroe High School, he said. It stands for staying true to yourself and being authentic.

He watched videos for insights into how Black hip-hop artists and fashion moguls were becoming successful business owners. 

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“I really tried to adapt the mindset of successful people, especially that look like us (Black people),” Turnage said. “I knew I wanted to have some kind of ownership. I wanted to create something — really as an extra income first — then down the line, it eventually turned into me wanting to make the best possible clothes that people could wear.”

© Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press
Zay Turnage is owner of The Chosen Few Threads. He is shown here in his new location in Monroe on November 19, 2020.

The brand took off in multiple cities in southeast Michigan — including Monroe, Ypsilanti, Detroit and Ann Arbor — along with Toledo, where his clothing is available at City Man in Franklin Park Mall. Turnage designed a hoodie to highlight each of the cities that have supported him.

Turnage had been living in the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor areas, but noticed that he had a lot of support in his hometown. A mentor reached out to him about a storefront space there. Now, up the stairs and around the corner in 105 E. Front St. is a red room with unique apparel. It is his new headquarters.

Helping build confidence

Meagan Dietz, 25, who has been an artist for four years, was one of the first to design pieces with Turnage in 2019 and the collaboration has helped her gain confidence in her work, so much so that she plans to launch her own line. She has known him since they both were in high school.

“Zay and I have been working together for just over a year now and we’ve done two different collections,” Dietz said. “ 

The mom of two who also works full time credits Turnage for teaching her the ropes of starting a business. 

“I have learned a lot from working with Zay about my brand and my business and how everything has come to be over the last year,” Dietz said. “It’s really grown because now I’ve seen that there (are) other people we’ve gone to high school with that Zay is starting to work with.” 

Riley Reich, 22, is the mastermind behind the creative marketing strategies for product launches and social trends at for Chosen Few.

One of her friends introduced her to Turnage after she graduated from Central Michigan University in May. She was in the market for a freelance job at the time and they began working together to transform the brand. 

“We wanted it to be down to earth because that’s what The Chosen Few is — it’s real, it’s down to earth, it’s nitty gritty, it’s grind,” Reich said. “It’s all of those things. The Chosen Few has always been something that’s unexpected. We always want to come up with something new and unexpected. We’ve always had that element of surprise.” 

© Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press
This design by Riley Reich is called Butterfly Face. It is part of Zay Turnage’s The Chosen Few Threads clothing line in Monroe.

She also has designed her own piece for the brand called Butterfly Face. 

“On our first phone call ever, I sent him over all of my art, and immediately, he took to it,” Reich said. “It was so cool because as much as I love promoting everyone else’s stuff, I am not the best at promoting my own stuff. I’ve always wanted to make art and fashion, but I could never find the right opportunity or the right way to do it.”

Reich said she and Turnage balance each other because he focuses on the logistics of the business while she focuses on creative strategies to bring the designs to the public. 

Turnage also has a large range of local models and photographers that he works with and he is also a model for his brand. His latest clothing release called Winter Solstice Collection, was released in January and features models wearing warm attire, like hoodies, sweatpants and other winter clothing.

When it comes to the newest release, Turnage said: “I want them to feel CHOSEN, like the new them, a better version of themselves. Winter solstice is about embracing the dark and stepping into the light and reality as we know it to be! This being our best work to date, I want people to feel their best.”

Contact staff writer Chanel Stitt on Twitter: @ByChanelStitt. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Clothing entrepreneur brings brand home to Monroe, paves way for young designers