Holidays, Iranian Culture, TheSaffronLife, Traditions

The Holidays: The Persian Version

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Waking up.
Seeing snow fall outside.
Hearing the crackle of a fireplace.
Seeing a decorated tree full of gifts.
Hearing christmas music playing in the background.

Nice right? But this was not what I experienced growing up.

Growing up, Christmas + New Year = Time off from school. And yes I wish this was still the case!

We never had a Christmas tree except one that was about 10 inches tall. More like a Christmas branch actually. :) Cute? Yes. A real Christmas feel? No.

Although there definitely are those that celebrate, Iran is predominantly a Muslim country and therefore most do not celebrate Christmas (New Year? Sure, but not to the extent that we celebrate in March – our REAL new year ;) stick with me.) Some of the traditions are also just not as feasible for us to celebrate in its traditional sense. It isn’t easy to have 20 of your family members over at your house when most of your family is thousands of miles away in a land called Iran.

We did what we could though because as we all know, these holidays have in many ways become national holidays for people of all backgrounds and cultures regardless of where you were born or where you came from. We got gifts, but instead of under a tree they were near our fireplace (not a bad compromise!), we spent the day together at home with our own family, or friends that we call family anyway, and we ate delicious food and fought over the tadiq that was on the table (its just always there..). 

Bottom line, even if the celebration in our family was not a blown out Christmas/New Year’s celebration, I actually felt and still do feel lucky to have the chance to celebrate these Holidays to whatever extent we can PLUS the Iranian Holidays (plug here for our Norouz = Iranian New Year = March = Awesome celebrations!)

Hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday and a wishing you a wonderful New Year ahead!

 

 

 

Iranian Authors, TheSaffronLife

Presenting “Rahimeh Andalibian”: A story of an Iranian-Preneur (4)

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Resilience, Love, Loyalty, Triumph, and Peace. These are the words that describe Rahimeh Andalibian, Author of  “The Rose Hotel“, an Amazon best seller.

I met Rahimeh at a book signing in Boston in November. I was unsure what her book was about and who she was. But I felt I had to be there and meet her. And I am so glad I did. Her welcoming and warm personality, eloquent reading, and inspiring story has stuck with me since.

I have already finished her first book, “The Rose Hotel”  and am honored to have had the opportunity to interview her below.

Thank you Rahimeh for your story below.

First – one of my favorite quotes in the book: 

 “Our family was blown apart as one child after another vented their long unspent feelings. We each faced our inner turmoil and outer conflict with our new society and culture, the opposition from our old-world father and the struggles within ourselves.” pg. 203

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1. What inspired you to write this book?

In April 2008, I sat on my balcony facing the Pacific Ocean as I had for the past five years. I took a deep breath and I knew: my life was about to change forever. I had been successful. I had a great professional career, a fabulous home, and status. Yet, I was facing economic and personal devastation. I was losing my home and my business  ̶  my sense of success. These changes forced me to decide who I was and what I wanted for the rest of my life. Sitting there that day, I finally knew: I had to embark on the greatest challenge of my life  ̶  telling my family story. I  knew, I could no longer not tell it. (Me: that must be such a special moment when you, in a single moment, realize you just have to do something..)

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced writing this book and how did you overcome it?

Initially, my biggest challenge was to overcome my own inner fears (Me: this can sometimes be the only challenge, and hardest to overcome) and get prepared for what this journey was going to take in order to be successful. I doubted my writing ability, but decided to do whatever it took to write this book. I sought out writers, writing coaches, a book doctor  ̶  anything and everything to figure out how to achieve this goal. After finding the right editor and coach, the greatest challenge, by far, was getting a timeline of events, writing everything out as I went through the roller coaster of emotions, digging into the pain of the past, stirring up the pain for my family as I interviewed them, and then deciding what parts of the story stayed and what parts got edited out so that the story flowed and read like a novel

3. What are the future plans for you and this book?

My purpose in writing this book is to contribute – to help individual agents of change in families shift themselves, their views, and open up and connect to their loves ones and world.  I hope to touch lives and maybe change minds. That is not possible if people don’t read the story, thus the current goal is to have the story reach as many people as possible. Future goals will include multimedia approaches to sharing the story. I’m currently in discussion about an animated serialized version of the story. (Me: I read it… I loved it..) 

4. What is your next project?

“Glass Houses” is a play I’m producing and co-writing that weaves together fifteen autobiographical stories exploring internal dynamics within the greater Middle Eastern families, along with the external realities of being immigrants. This play was created to promote questioning and awareness by portraying themes of love, loyalty, disability, mental illness, and acculturation fueled by inter-generational family legacies linked to addiction, trauma, violence, sexism, gay/lesbian issues, shame, and success.

Check out a piece by clicking here! 

This experience exposes the universality of the human condition in order to combat ignorance, prejudice, and discrimination with the hope of increasing insight, healing, connection, and peace.

There will be a kickstarter campaign in the next few months followed by tours in Los Angeles and New York City.

THANK YOU Rahimeh jan for this interview & it was a pleasure to meet you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Connected:

**Holiday Sale on the book! Check it out!  Available in different formats. 

“The Rose Hotel” Facebook Page

Website

 

Iranian food, persian food, Recipes, Saffron, TheSaffronLife

Recipe #4: Eating Rice = Being Iranian

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How do you know if you are Iranian??

If you are eating this 8 out of 7 days in the week ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is really no such thing as a proper Iranian dish without the Polo (Rice). When people ask me, “What is Iranian food like?”, the first thing that comes to my mind is rice. It is almost always rice with some type of Khoresht (Stew) or type of meat next to it. Ah, pure heaven.

So, maybe Rice seems like a simple and easy thing to make, but it really isn’t. Sure, there are rice cookers and other things out there, but that is not how we make our rice.

Our way = more complicated = more tasty.

Without this talent… are you really even Iranian?! And so, here is the recipe for making true Iranian Polo. And this includes the Tadiq part too!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups rice (usually 1 cup less than the number of people you have but this is more up to you AND not just any rice, you want Basmati rice!)
  • 9 cups cold water (3 x # of cups of rice)
  • 2 tsps salt

Procedure:

1. Clean out the rice for any darker/brown pieces
2. Pour rice into a pot
3. Wash the rice 3 times with cold water (pour water in, let it sit a bit, pour water out… 3 times)
4. Fill it then with the 9 cups of water
5. Put under med/high heat on stove
6. Add the salt
7. Place the cover loosely on pot
8. Keep on stove
9. While rice is cooking, put some pita bread in the microwave to soften
10. When rice starts to stick up more vertically (water is boiling) take the pot off from stove
11. Empty the rice into a sifter
12. Pour some olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot
13. Place pita bread on the bottom of pot to oil both sides of bread. Then cover the bottom of the pot, top of bread facing bottom. (oil on both sides)
14. Pour rice back into pot, push rice a bit towards center of pot
15. Add saffron to one corner of rice (this goes on top of rice later when serving and is how the rice becomes yellow)
16. Place paper towel on top, cover tightly
17. Put on low heat for 30-45 min then it should be ready

Enjoy the delicious carbs!

 

Iranian Culture, Iranian food, persian food, TheSaffronLife, Traditions

Our Thanksgiving: not just on Thanksgiving

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When the general population thinks about Thanksgiving, they think about this:

 

 

 

 

When I think about Thanksgiving, I think of this:

 

 

 

 

We do have Turkey at our Thanksgiving… but there always seems to be some element of Persian food on that table. Whether it be polo (rice), some salad olivieh (our version of potato/chicken salad), or some mast (yogurt) it will probably be there. I don’t see an issue with this. This is truly being Iranian-American!

In all seriousness, many Iranians come from Iran and are presented with various holidays and traditions where they may not be exactly sure what to do or how to celebrate, but they feel they need to embrace some traditions simply because they are here. This tradition is not one of those. We already feel and celebrate this, and in fact, we do it sometimes daily.

When we can, we already sit around a table. When we can, we already eat together. When we can, we already say what we are thankful for.  Family (and by the way, sometimes we call even our neighbors “khaleh” (aunt)!) is such an important and integrate part of our culture. Honestly, I feel lucky because I have felt that many dinners and days in our lives are like Thanksgiving.

This holiday is not about being Iranian, being American or being Iranian-American. It is about being grateful and spending time with those we love, regardless of the date on our calendars.

With Thanksgiving, we never felt we had to adjust in order to feel like we were a part of America. We already felt this was our tradition even if there was also some kabob on the table. ;)

Hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family!

Photos, TheSaffronLife

True Moments, A Photo Series (6)

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It can be such an exciting, scary, uneasy, thrilling (yes, all at the same time) experience for those of us who have spent the majority of our lives in America, but go and visit Iran after so many years. One of my friends, Stephanie Shireen, went to Iran this past summer after 14 years! Here are pieces of her story and her photos.

From Stephanie:  “I spent two months in Iran this summer and it had been 14 years since my last visit. My Dad recently moved back there so it was the perfect opportunity to see him and see the country as well. My mom is American and I do not speak Farsi, so it was incredibly difficult to operate there for so long with very few English speakers around. I am a big fan of cooking and navigating the Hyper Market and grocery store was a definite challenge. I managed to make some very interesting doogh battered fried chicken bites with “buffalo” sauce from scratch, and full Mexican feast! Gastro-diplomacy at its finest! I got to see a ton of awesome sights, although I would not recommend traveling there in the summer. Esfahan was incredibly hot in late July! I am so happy I went there.“

She documented her travels while she was there both through writing and photos. Here are a few of her photos.

Click on the first image to open the gallery. 

Her thoughts on some of these photos. You can click on each location for more information:

Damavand: “Damavand itself is a huge mountain, bathed in snow, sunlight, and with a peak constantly hidden by the clouds. So cool! It is quite an iconic image. It seemed as though the mountain attracted the clouds and we were only rewarded a clear view of its peak for a brief minute.” 

Valasht: “The lake was known as Dariya-che Valasht. This was a totally worth while stop! Iran seems to have an abundance of bluewater lakes, which means that the primary source of water is from deep underground and pristine water from melted snow.”

Kandelous: “My Dad booked tickets for a bus trip to Chaloos and Kandelous on the Caspian Sea. I envisioned a 4 hour bus ride and a nice weekend of relaxation seaside in the cool green mountains of the north. I was wrong. We boarded the bus at 6 am, drove two hours to a restaurant, spent 1 hour eating breakfast, reboarded the bus, drove for another few hours this time though rather treacherous mountain roads where you looked out the window and saw a foot or two of road and then a sheer fall off of mountain side…”

Thank you Stephanie for sharing your photos and experiences! 

 

Iranian food, persian food, TheSaffronLife

We are always looking for it…

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We could be somewhere in the United States, somewhere in Europe, or even in the Middle east (!!). Although these places are all different, there is always one thing in common with our trips to these places.

We. Are. Always. Looking. For. An. Iranian. Restaurant. (Period.)

So, you would think that we would want to try the authentic meals of the country that we are in. Yes, that would make the most sense. But no, Iranian’s usually want to find the same type of food, that we already are so familiar with. Why?  Because.. we miss it so much after the one day we have been away?!?! (yes)

Well, to start, I think we just love food in general. (I know a lot of people do, but trust me, we really, really do… I will also include Greeks, Italians, Indians.. international people in general maybe?) We just love it and our days revolve around it.  Mid breakfast, we ask where we should go for lunch, by mid lunch, we ask where we should go for dinner. And then by mid-dinner…well, you get it.

That is not enough though. Not only do we plan our days based on where we are going for the next meal, but then ask “I wonder if there is an Iranian restaurant here that we could go to…”

Eyes widen, ears perk up, and we start yelping/googling/facebooking. 

Quick example… my family and I went to Dubai last winter. We landed, rented a car, asked about the closest Iranian restaurant (we were so hungry and tired. Just really didn’t want to even risk not having delicious food). We got to the restaurant and it was great.

Ohhh wait! I think I left out the part that we also got into a car accident on the way. I think it was a sign/punishment from Dubai…. “at least try our food for your first night here!!”

And on that note – for those of you who are in Boston or visiting the Boston area soon.. here are some of the Iranian Restaurants to try. Incase you have that craving for any meal or just a random delicious snack in your day… :)

Lala Rokh 
97 Mount Vernon St., Boston, MA.
(617) 720-5511

Moby Dick 
269 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. 02115
(617) 236-5511

Pita Kabob 
45 Province St, Boston, MA.
(617) 523-7482

Molana Restaurant 
5 Spring St, Watertown, MA. 02472
(617) 923-2554

Jasmine Taste of Persia
580 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 923 2999

Shiraz Cuisine
72 Bigelow St, Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 923-2222

Kolbeh of Kabob
1500 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 876-9400

Dance, Entertainment, Iranian Culture, TheSaffronLife

Presenting Farima Berenji: A Story of an Iranian-Preneur (3)

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Presenting to you, Farima Berenji, an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, dance ethnologist, choreographer, and performing arts activist.

Thank you Farima, for this interview and for your story!

First, watch this: 

Montage of Farima – Dances of the Silk Road

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1.  What is your business?

I am currently the Artistic Director of the Farima Dance Company, based in San Francisco. I am also the South Bay director and instructor of the Afsaneh Dance Academy, the principal performer of Ballet Afsaneh,  member of San Jose Ballet, and the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the City of Sunnyvale. (me: amazing!)

Farima Dance Company offers many classes for all levels and ages:

  • History of Persia and Egypt (mythology, literature, dance, music, and costuming)
  • Persian Folk Dances (All regions)
  • Persian Sacred and Mystical Dances
  • Persian Classical and Miniature Art
  • Persian Dances of the 18-19th century Qajar
  • and more…!

I have a B.S. in Health Science with a Minor in Art History and the Performing Arts, as well as an M.A. in Anthropology and Archeology. I have a special emphasis in Dance Ethnology (Me: What is that?).  My career and passion is to teach and perform and to advocate dance as a means of global communication.

2.  What originally interested you in dance?  

My artistic impulse originates from a diverse performing arts background spanning Eastern and Western classical and theatrical dance as well as the traditional dance repertoire of Central Asia and the Middle East. My family was very much involved in the performing arts and I grew up immersed in this field.

As a young person, whenever I would see a dance, I would often wonder about the history behind it and how its performance style and costuming developed. I tend to believe in dance as being a cultural identifier just like clothing, language, and music. Dance is a means for people to define themselves and to differentiate its culture from that of other groups. (me: love that)

For over 10 years, individually as well as working for the United Nations, I traveled great distances to learn, research, lecture, promote, and to teach classical, folk, and sacred dances of the Silk Road (Persia and Central Asia).

Dance explores the reality of human experiences as seen through cultural variation. There is a language in dance; there is a beginning, middle, and an end. The dancer tells a story, teases the audience with coquettish glances, or displays a variety of expressions: reluctance, joy, sensuality, pride, laughter, even sadness. (Me: I love this analogy…)

For such reasons, I have taken my love of dance to form my own dance company, and to be a dance activist committed to the preservation, revitalization, innovation, and collaboration of dance culture in my community.

3.  What were some challenges you faced? 

Fear is a mental obstacle that prevents future progress. I have learned to cleanse my mind of such negativity and instead move forward even at the risk of failure. One thing that I have learned is to be thankful for the challenges I have surmounted and to continue pushing myself.  I often remind myself that the works of many great historians, philosophers, and artists were overlooked. Yet, they too refused to give up. I pursue challenges because I believe that one day I can inspire others to do the same.

4.  What are some of your recent news (events, etc)? 

This past summer,  I showcased dances of Persia and North Africa with associate artists after realizing how similar in background and movements many of the dances were. I have also been honored to have completed a scared path and to become a Semazan and had the honor of working and performing with Banafsheh Saayad in Turkey.

I am also very excited to say that I have now opened a collaborated company in the state of Alaska (ASRC), and soon to have one in Florida and Turkey. (me: congrats!)  I will be collaborating with some Sufi Masters in Turkey and performing with them.

Also, for the holidays, I have the honor of being the “Sugar Plum Fairy” for the San Francisco Nutcracker. (me: wow!)

5.  Plans for your business in the upcoming year.

In the coming year, I plan to hold intensive lectures and training workshops on Persian mystical and Sema training in Czech Republic, Turkey, Columbia, Florida, Alaska, Kentucky. Will also continue my World Tour with where I go around the world teaching history and dances of the Silk Road.  This year my workshop topic is “Poetry in Motion” focused on teaching the meaning of Persian poetry and how each word is related to a certain move in Persian Dance.

I am also excited about some new work in progress which I will be working with some amazing artists. These projects will be showcased in 2013-2014.

6.  Anything else you want to share? :) 

I am so fortunate to be the director and instructor of South Bay Afsaneh Dance Academy and the principal performer of Ballet Afsaneh. My artistic development has found support in so many ways through some important colleagues in the traditional arts. Through this group I have been able to create new performance and teaching opportunities that have inspired my work and given the community access to what I have to offer.

I have collaborated with some of the most highly acclaimed cultural dance and music luminaries on the international scene and have studied from masters of dance worldwide. She has also been honored by Congressman Mike Honda and the United Nations and has been awarded for her dance and project “Dance, A Dialogue Among Cultures”

I am an advocate for the arts and committed to lifelong learning and continued growth as a dance educator and hope to share my love of culture and dance with everyone that I meet.

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Thank you again, Farima Jan! So inspiring and admirable.

Check out her company: Farima Dance Company

Iranian Culture, TheSaffronLife, Traditions

My Birthday, but Our Story

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I don’t typically want to write about myself too much and I really enjoy sharing stories of others. But given it is was my birthday yesterday, I will take this opportunity share our story.

(I know you are thinking, “Oh, Happy Birthday!” so I will say “Thank you!” :))

The Beginning…

My parents came from Iran to America in 1978. Whenever I say this to people, they then ask me “Oh so was this before the revolution?” … “Yes it was”… “Oh so they were trying to leave because they knew that was coming?” …”Yes and No”. The truth is, yes things in Iran were not very stable, so of course America was (and still is) viewed as the preferred location for many. At the same time, my parents knew they wanted to raise their future children in America. More opportunity for them, more education, more equality…just more. And so, they came to Amreeeeeeka (*accent included*).

They left it all behind, including their own families and started new. The story could end here, and it would still be amazing but I will continue.

I try to put myself in the shoes of someone who comes to a new country, on their own, with only their bags and their hopes. It’s not possible. Until you have actually done it yourself, you just can’t relate. So I can’t say I know what they felt…so I asked Baba (Iranian for “Dad”) 

“I was very excited to come to America, we had always heard such great things about it and I felt lucky to be able to. I left a great job in Iran to come here and start over.” 

I am surprised they didn’t really miss Iran but he said “this was our choice to come here”.

And so, they started in NYC…then Chicago..then Michigan. And finally, Boston our home.

Later…

Skip a couple years, my brother and I were born! And the world was a better place.. ok, just kidding. Both of us were born in Boston. This was where my parents wanted us to be raised due to its great education, cultural society and international communities. (They clearly didn’t consider the extremely cold weather in this decision… and I really wish they had done that!) 

But, there we were. First generation Iranian Americans. Over the years, we had to balance the values and expectations of being Iranian, with the cultural differences we faced in America. There were differences  we saw and choices we had to make. Sometimes, it was frustrating to have to make these choices. We wanted one thing, but were expected to do another.

Who were we? Iranian? American? Both? But how?

and Now….

Sometimes I do get confused. In so many ways, I am more American. But in a lot of ways (my friends will say especially in the car when I am blasting persian music), I feel so Iranian. Is that how I should be? I realize I can’t think about it too much and analyze it. I have found a balance that I am happy with. Through my dance, music, this blog, our culture and our values,  I feel so connected to my culture.

I like to take this, and apply these values and learnings, into my more “American” life. This is how I find my balance.

What’s next? 

Well, I don’t know and that’s the beauty of it.

But I like to reflect when it is my birthday.

I am proud of OUR story, OUR families, where they have come, where we are today and where we will all go.

What is your story?  Share it with us at thesaffronlife@gmail.com…or through the “Contact” page. Your story could be next here.

 

 

 

 

persian food, Recipes, TheSaffronLife

Recipe #3: Soup-e Jo (Barley Soup)

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I haven’t posted a recipe in a while and with the start of Fall recently, I felt it was time to bring to you one of my favorite Soups… Soup-e Jo (Barley Soup).

Hm how do I describe this soup? It isn’t very liquidy, but also not very thick like chowder. So something right in the middle. I know, good description right? It is creamier than other soups we have, no greens (aka not so healthy but also means very tasty!) We can all indulge sometimes.

So, let’s start with what it should look like when it is done. :) (these are original home cooked photos..nothing fancy!)

Soup-e Jo

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • Water
  • Salt & Pepper (as desired)
  • 1 lemon zest
  • 1/2 chopped  red pepper
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 3 large chopped onions
  • 1 cup quick barley
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream (can also use milk or sour cream)
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 3 sticks chopped celery
  • 1 chopped carrot

Process:

  1. Pour the barley into a sifter
  2. Place the sifter into a pot, add cold water to clean the barley
  3. Pour the barley into the pot from the sifter
  4. Add the 1/2 cup of oats
  5. Add salt, pepper, celery, carrot, onion and peppers
  6. Add 4 or 5 cups of chicken broth
  7. Put the pot on low heat and cover it lightly
  8. When the water is gone, add more broth
  9. At the end, pour real chicken juice if you have it
  10. Pour out one cup of soup into a separate cup and add whipping cream
  11. Pour this cup back into the soup
  12. Put on low heat – assess thickness (can add more broth if you prefer it to be more liquidy)
  13. Add the lemon juice
  14. Let it boil on low heat
  15. Add lemon zest on top in the end for a little flavor and decoration

Yum.

Iranian Artists, Iranian Culture, Iranian Fashion, Photos, TheSaffronLife

Presenting “ALANGOO”: A story of an “Iranian-Preneur” (2)

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A few weeks ago, I met Golshid Mola, the founder of ALANGOO, for some coffee in Boston. Her energy, passion, and story was one I had to write about. What her company does, why she does it and how she got started is one to share and aspire to be like. (My Disclaimer: This post is a bit longer than usual but SO worth the read!)

I am excited to share with you our next “Iranian-Preneur” story on ALANGOO.  Thank you most importantly to Golshid for this opportunity to be featured here and for this interview.  Also, congratulations for being a part of London Fashion Week tomorrow! More on that below!

Straight from ALANGOO’s founder…the story around ALANGOO. Enjoy reading!

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So, what is ALANGOO?

ALANGOO.com connects independent-minded shoppers who appreciate individuality and innovative designs, with artisans who create alternative clothing and accessories.

ALANGOO supports underground and alternative artisans and designers who hand-make or design jewelry, accessories and clothing by giving them online and offline platforms to showcase and sell their work on a global scale, reaching even larger audiences who may not be able to ordinarily discover their work.  In meeting this mission, we put emphasis on showcasing and introducing avant-garde pieces that are also presenting a culture as well as those underground designers who have limited exposure to Western audiences to give them a voice.

Some of the pieces: 

How did you start the company?

When I was studying at the University of Art and Architecture in Tehran some 15 years ago, along with some other artsy friends and schoolmates, we started this handmade fashion movement in Tehran by setting up shows and exhibitions showcasing hand painted t-shirts and handmade clothing, jewelry, home décor, etc. These events became so popular that they became hot-spot hang-outs of our generation. We set up about almost 15 exhibitions in two years and we never really knew if they were even legal in the eyes of the government, but luckily we were never caught!

After I graduated, I moved to the US and fell in love with New York. But it was overwhelming with too much competition. On the verge of losing confidence in my crafts, I decided to start a new career path. After graduating from NYU in Graphic Communications Management and Technology, I started in online media. Every year when I’d go back to visit my friends in Tehran, I’d realize, the underground fashion movement was going stronger then ever. Now there are a lot of showrooms that are showcasing amazing works of creative Iranian youth not only in Tehran but in other cities as well.  As my heart was broken to see all these unknown talents, I decided to mix my two backgrounds and come up with ALANGOO.

How do you help and promote underground designers?
ALANGOO.com is platform designed for these designers/artisans to showcase and sell their work globally. They have full control over the content they upload, images, and prices. We connect them to shoppers, handle the payments for them and take care of the digital and online promotion. We also set up trunk shows and exhibitions for them when there is an opportunity. So far they have been showcased in NY and Los Angeles and London is next. We also offer services such as basic photo-shoots and some studio work. A lot of these designers don’t have a website, budget or connections so we try to help them out. The challenge we face especially promoting Iranian designers is the sanctions that are becoming more severe everyday. It really breaks my heart that we cannot provide services to a lot of our applicants due to the sanctions. They deserve better.

Who are the designers that submit their work to you?

We respect and support all creative minded independent designers especially the ones who are proud of their cultures and keep the essence in their work. For now our focus is on exotic corners of the globe starting with designers with backgrounds in Central Asian and Middle East emphasizing on underground Persian designers.  However, we won’t deny an application from a designer who is not from the region if they style fits what we present.
In order to promote the designers internationally, we need to showcase internationally. For instance, right now we have shoppers from Hong Kong and France and Arab countries that buy pieces that are completely Persian inspired. This is what we are after. Making an interest in a rich culture.

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Thank you for this interview!

ALANGOO is collaborating with Magic of Persia this week in London for Fashion Week! There is a link below with some more information.

Wishing them the best at the show!! I look forward to hearing more regarding the event and how it supported all the amazing underground designers and artists!

More links:

ALANGOO products!

ALANGOO’s Trunk Show in London

ALANGOO’s Facebook Page