Zakiyya Karim knows what it means to build something from the ground up. A visual communication graduate, art director, designer and animator, the Cape Town creative spent years bringing other brands’ visions to life before turning her attention to an idea of her own.
In April 2026, she launched Out of Office, a lifestyle brand born from a simple frustration: needing multiple bags to navigate a single day. Its debut carry all is designed to move with women from Pilates to the office, errands to the airport and everything in between, with thoughtful details including a hidden shoe compartment, yoga mat straps, an internal bottle holder and a waterproof lining. But Out of Office is about more than function. Built around the belief that we are more than our jobs and productivity, the brand is Karim’s answer to the question of what life can look like beyond work.
For our Her Power: Stories of Women Shapeshifters Women’s Month feature, we speak to Karim about creating a brand on her own terms, learning to trust herself, navigating doubt and what it means to take up space as a woman in business.
Take us back to the beginning. Where did your journey in fashion and creative entrepreneurship start, and what led you to create Out of Office?
My journey really started in the creative industry. I studied visual communication and went on to work in advertising and design, where I built a career as an art director, designer and animator. I’ve always loved fashion, but I also understood quite early on that launching clothing comes with so many complexities: sizing, fit, body types, production and how personal those things can feel for people.
Out of Office came from wanting to create something that lived between fashion, function and lifestyle. I was craving a product of my own after years of creating for other brands. I wanted to build something tangible, something that reflected my taste and the way women actually move through their day. The debut bag came from a very real frustration: needing multiple bags just to get through one day. A gym bag, a handbag, a work bag, sometimes even a travel bag. I wanted to create something that could hold everything, but still feel elevated, considered and beautiful.
What inspired the name Out of Office, and how does it reflect the lifestyle and philosophy behind the brand?
The name Out of Office started with the idea that we are more than what we do. So much of our identity can become tied to work, productivity, deadlines and job titles, but life happens outside of that.
For me, Out of Office represents the moments in between: going to Pilates, meeting a friend for coffee, travelling, running errands, going away for the weekend, or simply creating space for yourself outside of work. The brand is built around that philosophy: creating pieces that support the life you live beyond work.
Your debut bag was born from a personal frustration. How did your own lifestyle and experiences shape the way you approached its design?
I designed the bag around my own daily chaos. I needed something that could move between different parts of my life without looking like a traditional gym bag or feeling too casual. I wanted space for shoes, clothing, a laptop, water bottle, makeup, keys, phone and all the little things you end up carrying when your day doesn’t fit neatly into one category. I also wanted it to feel soft and minimal, something you could carry after class, to work, on a flight, or over a weekend away.
The design had to be practical, but not over designed. It needed compartments that made sense, a waterproof lining, a separate shoe section and enough structure to feel intentional. The goal was always to create a bag that made you feel more put together, even when your day is full.
What defines your design philosophy, and what do you want an Out of Office piece to bring to someone’s everyday life?
My design philosophy is rooted in thoughtful simplicity. I love pieces that feel clean, useful and quietly elevated, not overly complicated, but still considered in the details. I don’t want Out of Office products to feel like random accessories. I want them to feel like part of someone’s lifestyle. Something that makes their day easier, but also makes them feel good carrying it.
An Out of Office piece should bring a sense of ease. It should help you feel organised without sacrificing style. It should be functional enough for real life, but beautiful enough that you actually want to use it every day.
As a woman entrepreneur, what has building your own brand taught you about leadership, ambition and taking yourself seriously?
It’s taught me that taking yourself seriously often has to happen before anyone else does. When you’re building something from scratch, especially as a woman, you can spend a lot of time waiting for permission, validation or support. But at some point, you have to decide that your idea is worth backing, even when it feels scary or uncertain.
Building Out of Office has taught me to trust my instincts more, to ask better questions, to advocate for myself and to keep moving even when things don’t go perfectly. Leadership, for me, has become less about having all the answers and more about staying committed to the vision while learning in real time.
Have there been moments when being a woman in business made you question yourself or feel that you had to prove yourself? How did you navigate them?
Absolutely. There have been many moments where I’ve felt underestimated or not taken seriously. There’s also this emotional layer that comes with building something personal. You question whether you’re being too ambitious, whether the product is good enough, whether people will care, whether you’re allowed to take up space.
I’ve navigated it by coming back to the work. By learning, asking for advice, surrounding myself with people who are honest and helpful, and reminding myself that confidence often comes after action, not before it. I’ve also had to learn that not everyone will understand what you’re building at the beginning, and that’s okay. The important thing is to keep refining, keep showing up and keep taking yourself seriously.
During Women’s Month, what does supporting and celebrating women in business mean to you, and what do you believe women entrepreneurs need more of?
To me, supporting women in business means more than just saying “women owned” or reposting someone’s launch. It means buying from women, sharing resources, making introductions, giving honest advice, opening doors and taking women’s ideas seriously before they become visibly successful.
I think women entrepreneurs need more access to information, networks, funding, production knowledge, mentorship and real support. Not performative support, but the kind that actually helps someone move forward. I also think we need more women willing to be honest about the messy parts of building. The mistakes, the fear, the uncertainty, the moments when you want to give up. Those stories matter because they make entrepreneurship feel more human and less lonely.
With Out of Office growing beyond its debut carry all, what can we expect from the brand next, and what kind of future are you building towards?
The debut bag is just the beginning. I see Out of Office growing into a broader lifestyle brand built around elevated essentials for life outside of work. That could include smaller accessories, pouches, laptop sleeves, travel pieces, apparel, limited drops and collaborations, all connected by the same philosophy of function, ease and personal expression.
I’m also really interested in building community around the brand. Not just selling products, but creating a world people want to be part of, one that celebrates movement, creativity, wellness, travel, ambition and rest. Long term, I want Out of Office to become a brand that women associate with living fully, not just working hard. A reminder that you are more than what you do, and that the life you’re building should make space for everything outside of work too.
