Punished for wearing a miniskirt as a teen, Iranian woman becomes swimwear designer

For Tala Raassi, rebellion is a not just an attitude but a way of life. After she was sentenced to 40 lashes for wearing a miniskirt at the age of 16, she moved from her native Iran to the United States where she went on to become a swimwear designer. Raassi’s line of swimwear, Dar Be Dar, not only sells across the USA but has also sponsored the 2010 Miss Universe pageant.

Restrictive dress codes in Iran meant that she could only dress as she desired in private settings. But in 1998, Raassi ended up in prison and suffered torture for around five days because she wore a miniskirt to a friend’s house party, according to Marie Claire. This was because the party had been raided by The Basij – a government-backed extremist group. The traumatic incident led her family to shift to the United States.

Things are now looking up for Rassi who claims to have found true freedom through fashion. She was even featured alongside the likes of Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey as ‘One of the Most Fearless in the World’ by the Newsweek and has also written a book about her inspiring journey.