Mahla Zamani

Last updated


Mahla Zamani
Born
مهلا زمانی

(1950-12-11)11 December 1950
Died17 July 2023(2023-07-17) (aged 72)
Education Pitman Institute, UK
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • fashion designer
Known forLotus fashion house
Spouse Mohammad Hossein Rastgou
Children2, including Labkhand and Delband

Mahla Zamani (11 December 1950 - 17 July 2023 ) [1] was an Iranian fashion designer, journalist and expert on Iranian traditional clothing.

Contents

Life

She established the first fashion exhibition after the Iranian revolution (1979) and put significant effort in popularizing Iranian stylish clothing. In her view, Iranians need to revive their past and dress in elegant colorful and traditional styles (instead of black and Arabian dresses). Her efforts in advertising Persian, Qashqai, Kurdish, Turkmen and Baloch dress styles attracted international attention.

She has been attacked by fundamentalist circles and newspapers repeatedly. [2]

In 2001 Zamani received permission to launch Lotus: A Persian Quarterly, Iran's first fashion magazine [3] and the first Iranian magazine to show the faces of women since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. [4]

Zamani was asked to design a dress for Queen Saleha of Brunei as a gift from Iran. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross-dressing</span> Practice of dressing like a different gender

Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothes traditionally or stereotypically associated with a different gender. From as early as pre-modern history, cross-dressing has been practiced in order to disguise, comfort, entertain, and express oneself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion</span> Stylish clothing

Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into outfits that depict distinctive ways of dressing as signifiers of social status, self-expression, and group belonging. As a multifaceted term, fashion describes an industry, styles, aesthetics, and trends.

<i>Cheongsam</i> Fitted dress in Chinese culture

Cheongsam or zansae, also known as the qipao and sometimes referred to as the mandarin gown, is a Chinese dress worn by women which takes inspiration from the qizhuang, the ethnic clothing of the Manchu people. The cheongsam is most often seen as a longer, figure-fitting, one piece garment with a standing collar, an asymmetric, left-over-right opening and two side slits, and embellished with Chinese frog fasteners on the lapel and the collar. It was developed in the 1920s and evolved in shapes and design over years. It was popular in China from the 1920s to 1960s, overlapping with the Republican era, and was popularized by Chinese socialites and high society women in Shanghai. Although the cheongsam is sometimes seen as traditional Chinese clothing, the cheongsam continues to evolve with times as it responds to the contemporary modern life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Googoosh</span> Iranian singer and actress (born 1950)

Faegheh Atashin, known professionally as Googoosh, is an Iranian singer and former actress. One of the most popular and prolific entertainers in Iran, her career has spanned over six decades. Googoosh has enjoyed significant popularity since the beginning of her career, ultimately becoming a cultural icon inside Iran and abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding dress</span> Dress worn by a bride during the wedding ceremony

A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western culture, the wedding dress is most commonly white, a fashion made popular by Queen Victoria when she married in 1840. In Eastern cultures, brides often choose red to symbolize auspiciousness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crinoline</span> Petticoat designed to hold out a skirt

A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was used to make underskirts and as a dress lining. The term crin or crinoline continues to be applied to a nylon stiffening tape used for interfacing and lining hemlines in the 21st century.

Throughout history, women in Iran have played numerous roles, and contributed in many ways, to Iranian society. Historically, tradition maintained that women be confined to their homes to manage the household and raise children. During the Pahlavi era, there was a drastic social change towards women's desegregation such as ban of the veil, right to vote, right to education, equal salaries for men and women, and the right to hold public office. Women were active participants in the Islamic Revolution. Iran's constitution, adopted after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, proclaims equality for men and women under Article 20, while mandating legal code adhering to Sharia law. Article 21 of the constitution as well as a few parliament-passed laws give women rights such as being allowed to drive, hold public office, and attend university but not wearing a veil in public can be punished by law; and when in public, all hair and skin except the face and hands must be covered. However, this is often not enforced; notably in recent years, Iranian women have started a number of groups to rebel against the government's oppressive policies and reclaim their independence and rights.

Shirin Guild is an Iranian-born British fashion designer. Her fashion label was established in London, in 1991. Her clothing design is minimalist and she has reworked Iranian clothing traditions through a "reductionist aesthetic". Her design work has been described as "trans-cultural".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persian clothing</span> Historical fashion in Persia

Traditional Persian clothing is the historical costume of the Persian people, and of ancient Persia before the 1930s Pahlavi dynasty. Historically, the fabric and color of clothing was very important. During the Achaemenian period, Persian clothing started to reflect social status and eminence, the climate of the region, and the season. The design philosophy for ancient clothing was a marriage of both function and aesthetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-fashion</span> Styles of dress contrary to popular fashion

Anti-fashion is an umbrella term for various styles of dress that are explicitly contrary to the fashion of the day. Anti-fashion styles may represent an attitude of indifference or may arise from political or practical goals which make fashion a secondary priority. The term is sometimes even used for styles championed by high-profile designers, when they encourage or create trends that do not follow the mainstream fashion of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norma Kamali</span> American fashion designer (born 1945)

Norma Kamali is an American fashion designer. She is best known for the "sleeping bag" coat, garments made from silk parachutes, and versatile multi-use pieces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kashf-e hijab</span> 1936 decree banning Islamic veils in Iran

On 8 January 1936, Reza Shah of Iran (Persia) issued a decree known as Kashf-e hijab banning all Islamic veils, an edict that was swiftly and forcefully implemented. The government also banned many types of male traditional clothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balochi clothing</span> Clothing of the people of Baluchistan, Pakistan

Baloch traditional clothing is a historical and contemporary aspect of Baloch heritage and deep association between the traditional dress and Baloch ethnic identity.

Farnaz Abdoli is an Iranian fashion designer. She founded her own brand POOSH-e MA, in 2011. She designs outfits for womenswear, in particular for the women of Iran. She considers herself to be “daring... and I encourage women to also be avant-garde in the way they dress.”

Fashion in Iran has a cultural and economic impact on the county of Iran. During the Pahlavi era around the mid-1930s, Western fashion was introduced to the country and greatly influenced women's style. After the Iranian Revolution in 1978–1979, the hijab has become compulsory, which impacted the creation of clothing style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion in Nigeria</span>

The fashion industry in Nigeria plays an important cultural role and contributes significantly to the country's economy. Clothing incorporates a variety of colours, fabrics, and embellishments. Many of the component cultures of Nigeria wear styles that are characteristic of their tribal society and customs. Nigeria produces fashionable textiles and finished garments and has designers who have achieved international recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balochi needlework</span> Type of handicraft made by the Baloch people

Balochi needlework is a type of handicraft made by the Baloch people. It is considered a heritage art, has been recognized by UNESCO, and it sells internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanlingpao</span> Lapel robes categorized as Hufu

Fanlingpao, sometimes referred to as kuapao and hufu in the Tang dynasty when they feature double overturned lapels, is a type of paofu with lapels. It was categorized as Hufu instead of Hanfu due to its association with clothing of the foreigners who came from the Silk road. Fanlingpao were first introduced in China during the Northern Wei dynasty and became popular in Northern Qi. The custom of wearing fanlingpao were then inherited and further developed in the Sui and Tang dynasties. The fanlingpao could be transformed into a round collar robe, called yuanlingpao, in the Tang dynasty through the use of buttons. The fanlingpao shows foreign influences, which are mostly likely from the Persian, Sassanian Persian, Iranian Sogdian, and Turkic. Fanlingpao were popular fashion during Tang dynasty for both men and women and showed the popularity of Hufu-style clothing during this period; it was considered hufu while yuanlingpao was categorized as a form Hanfu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion of Madonna</span> Aspect of Madonnas career

American singer-songwriter Madonna has been considered a fashion and style icon by fashion journalism and other sectors. Fashion critics, designers and scholars have examined her influence in fashion from different stages, defining views on her public image and cultural significance. Her connection with the community was once labeled a symbiotic relationship, while her industry ventures include owning fashion brands and appearing at events such as the Met Gala.

After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Hijab became the mandatory dress code for all Iranian women by the order of Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of the new Islamic Republic. Hijab was seen as a symbol of piety, dignity, and identity for Muslim women.

References

  1. "مهلا زمانی استاد و پیشکسوت حوزه مد و لباس درگذشت". FashionTV.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  2. "Chador colorati per le donne iraniane". Televideo Rai (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  3. Hoppenstand, Gary (2007). The Greenwood encyclopedia of world popular culture, Volume 4. Greenwood Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-0313332746.
  4. Bucar, Elizabeth (September 4, 2017). Pious Fashion: How Muslim Women Dress. Harvard University Press. p. 65. ISBN   978-0674976160.
  5. "Iranian Baluch Woman Designs Dress for Queen of Brunei". IFP News. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.