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From a young age, Tala used fashion and creativity as an outlet to express herself. The restrictions and double standards she witnessed whilst growing up meant that with a propensity to break the rules, Tala was labelled a ´teen rebel´, often getting into trouble at home and school. Being young, fearless and hungry for freedom in Iran is ´a recipe for disaster´, as she puts it. On her 16th birthday, Tala attended a mixed gender party wearing a mini skirt. The punishment for this was 40 lashes and five days in jail. It was this awful and ultimately life changing punishment that was a catalyst for change, leading Tala to move to the USA, pursuing her dreams of becoming a fashion designer.

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