Fashion label Vaqar is dispelling conservative perceptions of what Iranian fashion looks like Favorite
Iran is a nation with a fine art tradition that stretches back thousands of years; its reputation for contemporary fashion design less so. Writing that from an external, Western perspective may read unduly dismissive, but it’s a statement that holds up even from within the country’s borders, Shiva Vaqar assures us. “Being a designer has never really been considered a serious job here,” she says over the phone from Tehran. Along with her sister Shirin, with whom she runs their label Vaqar, she’s one of a handful of designers who have made it their mission to prove the dismissive perceptions around their chosen craft wrong.
Clothes like these probably aren’t what come to mind when picturing what Iranian women might wear today. And, admittedly, these aren’t the kinds of clothes you’d regularly see on the streets of Tehran. “We Iranian women have two personas -- one that you see covered outside on the streets, and one that you see when we’re inside with our families and friends!” she laughs. “But Iranian women are insane about fashion -- you wouldn’t be able to recognise the same woman you saw in public at a party! When you're limited from doing something, you go after it more.”