Fashion still a passion for some Iranians

TEHRAN, Iran — Honey Badloo sashays through the streets of her beloved Tehran determined to find opportunity where Westerners see oppression.

True, the aspiring model and designer strolled the catwalk only once before Iranian authorities banned fashion shows. And, no, her first magazine cover never made it past government censors.

But Persian style stretches back thousands of years, Badloo says with pride, and not even the austere regime of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can separate Iranians from their Gucci.

"Our Mr. President doesn't like us to work on fashion," said Badloo, 21, pouting her carefully painted lips. "But anyone you put in a cage wants to know what it's like outside. Who's Paris Hilton? Who's Brad Pitt? What are the styles outside of Iran?"

These are rough times for Tehran's fashionistas, but style-conscious young Iranians are turning to satellite channels, clandestine trunk shows and smuggled copies of Vogue to keep up with haute couture outside the conservative Islamic republic.

Even as Ahmadinejad's hard-line government warns of a new crackdown on dress-code violations — women must cover their heads, legs and arms — the capital's fashion mavens keep testing the limits with head scarves that inch back a little farther every season. This winter, Badloo seriously pondered whether knee-high vinyl boots counted as covering her legs.

"All the foreigners think we're stuck in chadors out in a desert, but we have everything here," Badloo said, referring to the traditional cloak worn by Muslim women. She flashed a pearly smile and added: "Even Christian Dior."

Fendi bags, Prada shoes and Chanel dresses flood into Iran from Dubai, the Persian Gulf's shopping paradise. Brightly patterned head scarves come from Turkey, sequined tunics from Syria.

To follow the West's changing hemlines, trend-obsessed Iranians tune their televisions to Fashion TV, the international channel devoted exclusively to style. Housewives have made small fortunes hauling back the latest styles from Europe and the United States. Unlicensed vendors send text messages via cellphones to alert loyal customers to coveted new cargo of Calvin Klein watches and Hermes scarves.

"When I go on a trip to Paris, Germany, Sweden, I always buy a lot of clothes to bring back to Iran," said Sara Aliabadi, 23, who was dressed one day in an elegant fitted coat that she asked a local tailor to sew based on a Chanel design. "Even in those places, you see girls wearing long skirts. It's the same thing here. You can maneuver around the restrictions."

Under Iran's previous reform-minded government, there was a small opening for a fashion industry. The acclaimed designer Mahla Zamani staged five runway shows, women's-only events that celebrated the colorful history of Iranian dress. She also started a magazine called Lotus, touted as the first Persian fashion journal, and published five issues, each government-approved before it went to press.

Badloo was one of her top models. Zamani and her models were invited to participate in a fashion show in Italy.

Then came Ahmadinejad's stunning upset in last year's elections. The new government shut down Lotus magazine. Badloo said she was denied permission to attend the fashion show in Italy.

The government renewed efforts to keep Western influences out. Google searches for "fashion" or "glamour" result in a red pop-up notice that reads: "Stop. Access to the page has been denied."

Still, there's been no dress-code crackdown yet.

Now that spring is here, Badloo's government-mandated scarves are floral-print silk confections. She paid $180 for the gigantic Dior sunglasses that perch atop her highlighted hair. Her jeans are Dolce & Gabbana, or at least high-quality knockoffs.