Safia Tarzi

Last updated

Safia Tarzi was a pioneering Afghan fashion designer. She enjoyed international fame in the 1960s and 1970s.

Safia Tarzi rose to fame in the 1960s, when she had her own fashion studio i Kabul. Her profession was a new one in Afghanistan.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Afghanistan was undergoing a rapid modernization process under Mohammed Daoud Khan. Kabul was known as the "Paris of Central Asia", and women of the Urban middle- and upper classes had been dressing in Western fashion in public ever since queen Humaira Begum had appeared without a veil in 1959. This was encouraged by the government since it provided an image of modernity, and many women engaged in the new fashion industry in Kabul, where fashion shows were held attended by women of the royal family. [1] Safia Tarzi was to become one of the most famed of the pioneering Afghan designers.

Safia Tarzi was known for her characteristic feminized turbans and waistcoats. [2] In her design, she mixed traditional Afghan colorful embroidery, fabrics and furs with Western clothing models, and challenged traditional conceptions on what was considered masculine and feminine, urban and rural, Western and Oriental. [3]

She also enjoyed international fame. In 1969, Vogue selected Afghanistan as the location of a high fashion photo shoot, and made an editorial about Safia Tarzi. [4]

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">European influence in Afghanistan</span> Overview of the influence of European colonial powers in Afghanistan

European influence in Afghanistan has been present in the country since the Victorian era, when the competing imperial powers of Britain and Russia contested for control over Afghanistan as part of the Great Game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanullah Khan</span> Emir then King of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929

Ghazi Amanullah Khan was the sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emir and after 1926 as King, until his abdication in 1929. After the end of the Third Anglo-Afghan War in August 1919, Afghanistan was able to relinquish its protected state status to proclaim independence and pursue an independent foreign policy free from the influence of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massouda Jalal</span> Afghan presidential candidate

Dr. Massouda Jalal is the first woman in the history of Afghanistan who ran for the Office of the President of Afghanistan in 2002, and again in 2004. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to compete for presidency in Afghanistan, a highly conservative society where women's engagement in public life was considered improper, unacceptable, and previously banned. Dr. Jalal emerged as a leading voice of Afghan women in 2001 after her election as the Representative to the 2002 Loya Jirga. While serving her term, she became one of the frontrunners for the position of Interim President, opposite to ex-president Hamid Karzai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Afghanistan</span> Overview of education in Afghanistan

Education in Afghanistan includes K–12 and higher education, which is under the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education. In 2021, there were nearly 10 million students and 220,000 teachers in Afghanistan. The nation still requires more schools and teachers. Soon after the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021, they banned girls from secondary education. Some provinces still allow secondary education for girls despite the ban. In December 2022, the Taliban government also prohibited university education for females in Afghanistan, sparking protests and international condemnation. In December 2023, investigations were being held by the United Nations on the claim that Afghan girls of all ages were allowed to study at religious schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan clothing</span> Clothing worn in Afghanistan

Clothing in Afghanistan consists of the traditional style of clothing worn in Afghanistan. The various cultural exchanges in the nation's history have influenced the styles and flavors of contemporary Afghan designs. The national dress is the fusion of different ethnic groups in Afghanistan. The styles can be subdivided into the various ethnicities with unique elements for each. Traditional dresses for both men and women tend to cover the whole body, with trousers gathered at the waist, a loose shirt or dress, and some form of head covering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soraya Tarzi</span> First queen consort of Afghanistan (1899–1968)

Soraya Tarzi was the first queen consort of Afghanistan as the wife of King Amanullah Khan. She played a major part in the modernization reforms of Amanullah Khan, particularly in regard to the emancipation of women.

Safiya is an Arab name, meaning "pure." Alternative transliterations include Saffiyah, Safiyyah, Safie, Safia, Safija, Safya, Sophie, Safiyah, Safeia, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Afghanistan</span> Overview of the status of women in Afghanistan

Women's rights in Afghanistan have oscillated back and forth depending on the time period as well as the regime in power. After King Amanullah Khan's attempts to modernize the country in the 1920s, women officially gained equality under the 1964 Constitution. However, these rights were taken away in the 1990s through different temporary rulers such as the mujahideen and the Taliban during the Afghan civil war. During the first Taliban regime (1996–2001), women had very little to no freedom, specifically in terms of civil liberties. When the Taliban was overthrown by the United States following the 9/11 attacks, women's rights gradually improved under the presidential Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Women were de jure equal to men under the 2004 Constitution.

The mass media in Afghanistan is monitored by the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC), and includes broadcasting, digital and printing. It is mainly in Dari and Pashto, the official languages of the nation. It was reported in 2019 that Afghanistan had over 107 TV stations and 284 radio stations, including 100s of print media and over 1,800 online media outlets. After the return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in 2021, there was a concern that the mass media will significantly decrease in the country. The number of digital media outlets is steadily increasing with the help of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and other such online platforms. IEA's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid suggested that the media should be in line with Sharia and national interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humaira Begum</span> Queen of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973

Humaira Begum was the wife and first cousin of King Mohammed Zahir Shah and the last queen consort of Afghanistan.

Defense of the Revolution was a generic term employed to designate the irregular paramilitary or popular militia units created by the Communist government of Afghanistan following the 1978 Saur Revolution, with the intent of mobilizing the population against counter-revolutionaries and other enemies of the new state. These units were officially volunteer, and based on the "Cuban model"; they were armed by the government and employed to guard sensitive infrastructure and maintain public order. Some reports indicate volunteers received incentives such as coupons for government stores. Editorials in the Soviet journal Pravda praised these defensive formations as early as mid-1979.

Anjuman-i Himayat-i-Niswan was a women's organization in Afghanistan, founded in 1928. It was the first women's organization in Afghanistan.

Muassasa-i Khayriyya-i Zanan, also known as the 'Women's Society' and from 1975 called (Afghan) Women's Institute (WI), was a women's organization in Afghanistan, founded in 1946. It was also known as Da Mirmanech Tulaneh or Da Mermeno Tolana (DMT). It became independent of the government in 1975 and was renamed the "(Afghan) Women's Institute" or WI. From 1953, it published its own publication, Mirman.

Sarwar Sultana Begum or, was an Afghan royal consort. She was married to Habibullah Khan, and was the mother of king Amanullah Khan.

Princess Sahira Begum Siraj Al Banat or Bibi Gul, mostly known as just Seraj al-Banat, was a royal princess of Afghanistan.

Halima Rafat was an Afghan nurse and women's rights activist. She was one of the first two nurses of her country, and belonged to the pioneer generation of professional women in Afghanistan.

Mirmon Ayesha, was an Afghan royal consort. She was married to Sher Ali Khan. She hailed from Lal Pur Afghanistan of the Momand tribe.

Princess Shah Gul Jahan also known as Kubra Jahan Begum but commonly called Princess Kubrah or Princess Kobra, was a royal princess of Afghanistan.

Irshad-e Naswan was a women's magazine issued in Afghanistan founded in 1921 being the first women's magazine in the country. The magazine was founded by Queen Soraya Tarzi. It was founded as a part of the king and queen's modernization project to reform Afghan society, a policy which included the emancipation of women, and the Irshad-e Naswan as well as the first women's association Anjuman-i Himayat-i-Niswan were both founded to support the state feminism of the royal government.

References