Hawaiian getaway with Alyssa Bokovoy

Tala Raassi, an Iranian-American fashion designer, was born in Maryland, USA and raised in Tehran, Iran. Raassi, termed “One of the Most Fearless Women in the World” by Newsweek Magazine, impressed the fashion world with her talent in exclusive swimwear. She is devoted to “celebrating the beauty of a women’s body through her designs and empower women all around the world to follow their dreams.” For Raassi, “fashion is freedom.” With each passing year, Raassi’s empire continues to grow while she still keeps sight on her roots as she advances the status of women.

Raassi captivated the world through her inspiring story, entitled “Crime of the Mini Skirt,” featured in Marie Claire Magazine. At sixteen she attended her friend’s Sweet 16 house party in a mini skirt. While in the privacy of her friend’s home, the religious police raided the house, and she ultimately faced the harsh punishment of five days in jail and forty lashes for wearing “indecent clothing,” according to Islamic law. Following this sentence, Raassi moved back to the USA where she currently lives. Her story went global, and Rachel Ray, Elle, and Newsweek, among others, interviewed her, giving her the platform to vocalize her vision of fashion as a symbol of freedom.

Following Raassi’s return to the United States from Iran, she studied fashion marketing and immediately stepped into the fashion scene by opening her own high-end boutique in Washington, DC. She oversaw all aspects of the business from overseeing its architectural design, buying, and merchandizing to finance and payroll. While buying for her boutique in Sao Paolo, Brazil during fashion week, Raassi was inspired to start her own line of swimwear. Upon her return, she decided to part with her store to focus on her passion of creating her own line.

Raassi traveled around the world—from the Middle East and Europe to South America— to find the finest fabrics and partner with the best manufacturers and suppliers. She ultimately selected Medellin, Colombia for production. As an independent fashion designer and studying the inner workings of the business, she decided to call her fashion line “Dar Be Dar,” which means door to door in Farsi. She found herself traveling all over the world, going door to door, studying the mechanics on how to create a fashion line. “It represents me as a designer, because I had to go door to door to figure out the process of starting a fashion business,” said Raassi.

Raassi quickly rose to the top of the swimwear industry. Raassi collaborated with the Washington Wizards Dance Team in 2009 to provide swimwear for the dance team’s swimsuit calendar. She was also the official swimwear sponsor of the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant. To Raassi, this relationship meant more than a sponsorship. She did it because it meant representing a country that is banned from attending the largest beauty pageant in the world. As a young Iranian girl, she used to watch pageants hoping that one day her fellow countrywomen could attend, and by partnering with Miss Universe, she at least would be able to represent the beauty and power of the women in her country in another way.

Raassi does not just run a fashion empire, she is very engaged in supporting charities which focus on women empowerment. She encourages women to embrace their femininity and beauty by helping charities like Sister to Sister with the Wizards. She also started her own charity, Lipstick Revolution, which pays tribute to women fighting for gender freedom. Her talents stretch far beyond swimwear and women’s fashion. Her passion and dedication to helping advance women is a cause celebre.