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Posted by Lesley Scott Oct 13, 2006 |
"The best place I could find was this (underground) parking (lot)," explains 26
year old Iranian-American designer Nina Ghafari in a recent piece in World
Politics Watch about some of the hurdles she needed to overcome to show off her
collection of Chinese'esque gowns for the women, and linen waistcoats, cargo
pants & blindfolds for the fellas. "I tried for a museum and a gallery but I
couldn't get permission."
In addition to the unusual location, something else stood out from your normal
runway show: all the females in attendance - both on & off the catwalk - sported
headscarves in compliance with Iranian Islamic regulations about appearing in
public. The male models' eyes were blindfolded in an attempt to "minimize the impact
of the head covering and reduce the gender difference." Thought to be the first
such event since the 1979 overthrow of the Shah - after which the Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini established a theocracy - mixed-sex gatherings are generally a
no-no. And when fashion shows have occurred in the past, they are normally
limited to women, with no photography allowed.
To publicize her show, Ghafari turned to the internet, where Iranian young 'uns
typically turn to spread the word about underground parties, rock shows and
other frowned-on-to-banned activities - which usually culminate in raids,
arrests by the security forces, and the night in jail. "I don't know what the
penalties are," explains the brave fashionista about being caught. "But if they
(the authorities) came in, they would see that my models were more covered up
than the people walking outside in the street... I wanted to do something where
everyone would turn around and either hate it or love it."