From Empresses to Disco Queens: Meet These Unsung Persian Style Stars! Inline
Photo: Everett Collection/ Mondadori Portfolio1/11Princess Soraya Esfandiari-Bakhtiari
The stunning Persian-German second wife of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi made an extravagant entrance onto the international stage in 1951 in a custom Christian Dior couture wedding gown that boasted 37 yards of pearl-studded silver lamé, 6,000 diamond pieces, and 20,000 marabou feathers. The 44-pound creation marked a chic but short reign for the young princess, who regularly met with world diplomats in Dior and Chanel. After her divorce from the Shah in 1958, the green-eyed beauty moved to Paris and pursued a career as an actress, enjoying a jet-setter life.
Photo: Getty Images2/11Empress Farah Pahlavi
A demure beauty, the third wife of the Shah hardly shied away from glamour and diamonds during her tenure as shahbanu, or empress. A client of Yves Saint Laurent—who designed her fairy-tale wedding dress—she also wore Guerlain and Dior, and her exquisite taste extended to Iranian arts and culture. Empress Farah Pahlavi worked relentlessly in both fields, opening up museums and amassing an impressive modern art collectsion for her country.
Photo: Courtesy of www.Googoosh.Tv3/11Googoosh, singer
Iran’s answer to Donna Summer, this disco goddess enjoyed incredible fame in the 1970s as a pioneer of Persian pop, thanks to her dance floor–ready songs and searing ballads. But it was also her fashion-forward, Western-influenced onstage looks that made her a trendsetter amongst her fans. Whether in one-shouldered gowns, sinuous bell-bottoms, or waist-baring crop tops, the singer put on a show in unprecedented style.
Photographed by Norman Jean Roy, Vogue, January 20124/11Caroline Issa, fashion editor
Practically catnip to street style photographers, the fashion editor, who is of Persian, Lebanese, and Chinese-Canadian descent, consistently dazzles with her megawatt smile and deft handling of bold colors and prints.
Photo: Getty Images5/11Shirin Neshat, visual artist and film director
The outspoken artist, whose photographs and films explore the sociological and psychological worlds of women from her native country, stays true to her Persian roots with her signature slash of kohl rimming her eyes and embrace of heavily embroidered wares.
Photographed by Annemarieke Van Drimmelen, Vogue, December 20116/11Yasmin Le Bon, model
The British-Persian supermodel dominated in the ’80s due to her bold, statuesque features and high-profile relationship with Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon. The ultimate rocker wife, she made (and still makes!) a stunning case for slinky gowns and minimally chic separates.
Photo: Courtesy of foroughfarrokhzad.org7/11Forough Farrokhzad, poet
Both with her lyrical poetry that explored the role of women in Persian society and the changing tides of culture, and her quietly chic poet’s uniform of slim turtlenecks, ladylike button-ups, and A-line skirts, Farrokhzad became a voice of a generation and the thinking woman’s style icon.
Photo: Krista Anna Lewis8/11Maryam Nassir Zadeh, retailer
Following in the footsteps of her trendsetting grandmother, whose Tehran-based clothing store in the ’70s counted the Empress as a close client, Zadeh’s namesake New York boutique draws in the likes of Dakota Johnson with its dreamy, vintage-inspired designs.
Photo: Getty Images9/11Marjane Satrapi, illustrator, filmmaker
After the publication of her graphic novel, Persepolis, Satrapi became an international star for her vibrant and illustrative depictions of growing up in post-revolutionary Iran. Her penchant for colorful vintage-inspired dresses and elegant, monochromatic looks made her a muse off-screen.
Photo: David Fisher / REX/ Shutterstock10/11Golshifteh Farahani, actress
Between her scene-stealing turns in such critically acclaimed movies as M for Mother, her red carpet appearances at international film festivals in Valentino gowns, and taking a bold stance on women’s rights, Farahani has quickly become a woman to watch.
Photo: Getty Images11/11Shohreh Aghdashloo, actress
With Old World glamour and showstopping style, the former model and Academy Award–nominated actress is a bombshell of a performer and dazzles on the red carpet.
