Tara Zadeh
Doing It All
Tara Zadeh approaches all new ventures with a sense of pragmatism. Whether it be managing her eponymous handbag line, becoming a first-time mother during the pandemic, or launching a virtual community to empower young Iranian women, she remains realistic about the ups and downs of being a Woman InCharge.
Doing It All
Tara Zadeh approaches all new ventures with a sense of pragmatism. Whether it be managing her eponymous handbag line, becoming a first-time mother during the pandemic, or launching a virtual community to empower young Iranian women, she remains realistic about the ups and downs of being a Woman InCharge.
Doing It All
Tara Zadeh approaches all new ventures with a sense of pragmatism. Whether it be managing her eponymous handbag line, becoming a first-time mother during the pandemic, or launching a virtual community to empower young Iranian women, she remains realistic about the ups and downs of being a Woman InCharge.
She spoke to us from her home in the London neighborhood of Little Venice, and walked us through her journey as a creative person trying to find their niche. From designing magazines, to freelancing, to art directing, to hand bag design, Tara embraces the curious nature of the DVF Woman.
Starting Tara Zadeh Bags was something somewhat unexpected. It was a feeling from a trip to Iran that was translated into sketches which eventually became a colorful and sculptural collection of accessories.
āI think it was the first time taking my husbandāwe went all around; Shiraz, Persepolis, Isfahan. I was just mesmerized by everythingāthe landscapes, the mosaics, the tiles, the mosques, the palacesāand my whole vision became clear. I started sketching and sketching and sketching all these geometric forms and started drawing bags.ā
When Tara Zadeh Bags launched, it instantly blew up. Which, for a new designer, can be quite hectic. As the pandemic began to unfurl, Tara decided to take the opportunity to pause and reorganize her company. However, she has full plans to resume production with Tara Zadeh Bags when the time is right and noted that the key to succeeding is in maintaining a sense of purpose.
āYou just have to keep believing. Once you donāt believe in what you do anymore, then thatās it,ā Tara notes. āThereās a saying in French, āChaque chose en son tempsā, which means āEverything in itās time.ā Everything will happen when it has to.ā Also adding, āTara Zadeh is not dead!ā
In the meantime, she has been able to enjoy her new baby, Gabriel, and explore her philanthropic side through a new project, ZanaƩe.
Her genuine take on motherhood: āI mean youāre caring for another human being, itās strange. Sometimes I look at him and Iām like, āOh my god, Iām your mother!āā she laughs. āYou know, I didnāt know that I had that in me. Everyday you learn something new and, now that the interaction has started, weāre laughing, heās responding to me, and thereās a real exchange. I think the first time he kissed me I just started crying.ā
ZanaƩe, Tara's other baby, is a digital (but soon-to-be IRL) network to connect and uplift Iranian women in creative industries. The seed for ZanaƩe was planted at a 2018 London Fashion Week event, when Tara met Nika Diamond-Krendel, a fellow Iranian designer. As their friendship developed over the next couple of years, they noticed the lack of community for Iranian women and decided that they would just create one.
āNow more than ever, we want to spotlight Iranian women and Iranian culture in a positive lightā¦ and the response to ZanaĆ©e was insane. We get messages from non-Iranians saying that theyāve enjoyed learning so much about these amazing women and their journey as well as our culture and tradition. Thatās really what we want to doāwe want to bring women together but also inspire the younger generation.ā
ZanaƩe's network will be expanding this year by hosting in-person events and organizing mentorship programs for young Iranian women starting out in their respective fields.
When it came to her DVF dress, Taraās personal style really shined through (which we loved).
āItās funny because Iām known to wear combat boots, itās like my thing. I like to wear platforms and big shoes, everyone calls them my ātechno bootsā because I party with the boots, I live with the boots, itās a part of me,ā she laughs. āBut I chose that dress because I really liked the pattern and I liked the cut. I was super happy because it was even nicer than it seemed in the pictures. It was flattering on the body, it had feminine lines, and I loved that electric blue. I canāt wait to wear it again.ā
Tara Zadeh on being InCharge: