Anna Akbari

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Anna Akbari
Education
OccupationsAuthor, entrepreneur, sociologist
Notable workThere Is No Ethan: How Three Women Uncovered America's Biggest Catfish
Website www.annaakbari.com

Anna Akbari is an American author, entrepreneur, and sociologist specializing in the sociology of style and self-presentation. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Akbari grew up in Iowa and studied theater at a performing arts boarding school in Michigan. [2]

Career

Akbari received her B.A. from New York University and her Ph.D. from The New School. [3] She did her doctoral work in visual sociology, studying power dressing [4] and "aspirational identity". [5] She held faculty positions at New York University [4] and Parsons School of Design. [6] Akbari worked in the fashion industry and owned a company called Closet Catharsis which had the slogan "Fashion your identity. Empower your life". [4] She also founded the companies Splice and Bricoler. [7]

In her book Startup Your Life, as Akbari explained in Time , she outlined relationship hacks, including networking in-person, building emotional intelligence, and finding your "minimum viable product" by understanding your core values. [8] Publishers Weekly noted that Akbari's entrepreneurial approach was sound, if sometimes more applicable to business situations than to personal challenges such as healthy eating. [9] In The Enneagram at Work, Akbari proposed applying the Enneagram to your relationships and career. [10]

Akbari's book There Is No Ethan recounts her experience being catfished and working with other victims to expose an alleged New Jersey physician behind a large-scale deception scheme. [5] [11] The New York Times reviewer Katie J. M. Baker described the book as a riveting piece of investigative journalism billed as a memoir, noting that Akbari explores ethical questions regarding aspirational identity and the power of physicians in the epilogue, and concluding that it is "a valiant attempt to hold a manipulator accountable". [5] The gender-bending aspect of the catfishing led Bustle reviewer Arianna Rebolini to recommend it for Pride Month: "this memoir is not LGBTQ but I simply had to mention it". [12]

Akbari worked as a writing supervisor on Alyson Stoner's 2025 memoir. [13]

Books

References

  1. ↑ Torgerson, Rachel (October 18, 2018). "A Fashion Sociologist Tells You Exactly What Kate and Meghan's Royal Style Means". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ Austin, Natalie (January 9, 2017). "AWNY Interview with Author & Adopted Aussie – Anna Akbari". Australian Women in New York. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Meet the Jury: Gotham Book Prize". Gotham Book Prize. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Fletcher, Tiffany (December 26, 2011). "The "Thinking Person's Stylist": NYU's Anna Akbari". Forbes. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Baker, Katie J. M. (June 4, 2024). "'There Is No Ethan' Is a Jaw-Dropping Tale of Digital Deception". The New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  6. ↑ Pinkhasov, Misha (July 23, 2018). "The Power of Fashion: Decoding World Leaders' Sartorial Choices". Vogue. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ Akbari, Anna (November 7, 2011). "A Personal Guide to Digital Happiness". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  8. ↑ Akbari, Anna (December 13, 2016). "3 Ways to Turn Partnerships Into Lasting Happiness". Time. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ "PW Picks: Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way to Happiness". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  10. ↑ "The Enneagram at Work". Blinklist. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Book unearths strange tale of N.J. gynecologist dubbed 'America's biggest catfish'". NJ.com. October 2024. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  12. ↑ Rebolini, Arianna (June 12, 2024). "6 Lesser-Known Books To Read This Pride Month". Bustle. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  13. ↑ Kircher, Madison Malone (August 10, 2025). "Alyson Stoner, a Former Disney Star, Writes a Tell-All. Sort Of". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  14. ↑ Reviews of There Is No Ethan:
  15. ↑ Reviews of Startup Your Life:
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