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Dear Reader,
We have a guest author today, Tala Raassi, her book, Fashion is Freedom. I usually write a lead-in to introduce the guest columnist, and today I certainly wouldn't be lacking material, because her column reminds me of when I was a kid, and my mother won a Barbie car, which she gave to me, but then she refused to buy me a Barbie. But I won't continue on with that story, because Tala's column is one not to be missed. It's absolutely one of my favorites...Enjoy!
Revolutionary Fur
My creative destiny began with Barbies when I was eight years old. Even though children around the world have been playing with Barbies since the 1960's, they had become illegal in Iran after the 1979 revolution. The government viewed them as a symbol of Western materialism and destructive to the country's social and cultural values, and it banned them. As a result, storeowners were forced to unlawfully stash them in the back of their stores, and customers could only buy them upon request. Their selection was always outdated, so I waited for opportunities to purchase them abroad or receive them as gifts when my family visited from overseas. I also never seemed to have enough clothes for my Barbies. And who wants to wait for the latest styles when you can make them yourself? I know I didn't.
My mother owned a gorgeous, long black mink coat that she never seemed to wear. I didn't know why at the time, but now I realize that she must not have felt comfortable wearing it in public after the Revolution. One day, I decided that Maman's mink would make a wonderful new outfit for my favorite blond Malibu Barbie. She came with a one-piece pink ruffled swimsuit, and I wished to make her a coat, so she wouldn't catch a cold. I thought Maman would appreciate sharing her fur. I cut about eight inches off the bottom to sew that coat together with her needle and thread. I had no idea what the value of fur was at the time. I thought it was just a random piece of clothing that was in the storage and had no value.
I spent hours sitting on my bedroom floor assembling my masterpiece. My fingertips were bloody from all the sharp needle pricks. Even though one sleeve was longer than the other, and the coat turned out only big enough to cover Barbie's shoulders, I was still pumped about that glamour I had crafted. I couldn't wait to present my ill-fitted tiny fur to Maman. When I heard her car pull into the garage, I sprinted down the stairs from the third floor, Barbie in hand, as fast as I could.
"Maman...Maman!" I screamed. She got out of the car and froze, a shaken look on her face. I thought someone had died and she was about to deliver the bad news. The next thing I knew, I was greeted with a slap to my cheek followed by yelling and screaming. Suddenly my glamour was anything but glamorous.
I was dragged by my arm up to my room and grounded. Eventually, Maman came around and helped me fix the coat since sewing wasn't my forte. As she lectured me about how wrong I had been for ruining her coat, I couldn't peel my eyes away from her talented fingers sticking the needle in and out of the fur. I felt like the little coat was getting a professional do over.
Dreaming up and making that fur coat truly sparked my desire to create. I didn't know anything at that age about being a fashion designer. As a child growing up in Iran, I never watched fashion shows on TV. Mainstream designer boutiques didn't exist back then, and women were always covered in public. When you are raised in a place where independence and individuality aren't really options, your dreams become limited, however I fought against the restrictions. My weapon was fashion, and it was just the beginning.
--Tala Raassi
Enter to win one of three copies of Fashion is Freedom. Email: [email protected].
More About Tala An Iranian American fashion designer, Tala was born in the United States and raised in Tehran. Named one of the "Most Fearless Women in the World" by Newsweek magazine, Tala made her mark in the fashion world at an early age with her talent in exclusive swimwear. She is devoted to celebrating the beauty of women's bodies through her designs and to empowering women all around the world to follow their dreams. For Tala, Fashion is Freedom.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
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