Even as a little girl Tala Raassi adored fashion. But growing up in Iran, where a woman could be punished under Islamic law for exposing her hair in public, Tala was forced to keep her experiments in fashion under wraps at backroom cafes and private parties. After a raid by religious police, 16-year-old Tala found herself in prison and sentenced to forty lashes of a whip – for the crime of wearing a mini-skirt.
Tala’s forty lashes of the whip for ‘indecent clothing’ fanned the flames of rebellion and led to a new life in the US. When Tala wrote ‘Crime of the Mini Skirt’ for Marie Claire magazine, her story went global. Newsweek called her ‘One of the Most Fearless in the World’. The likes of Rachel Ray, Elle and a host of leading magazines and newspapers gave Tala the platform to argue that fashion is a symbol of freedom. It marked the beginning of a bold new life.
Fashion is Freedom takes us on an extraordinary journey that crosses the globe, from Tehran to Columbia, centre stage at the Miss Universe contest and a new life heading a fashion empire and supporting charities that focus on empowering women.
Tala’s story will inspire women everywhere to be fearless and follow their dreams.
