"Aga Bibi" — an Iranian Brand That Moves With No Map, And No Fear

by Barbara Yakimchuk

"Aga Bibi" — an Iranian Brand That Moves With No Map, And No Fear

19 Jul 2025

You know how we are always on the lookout for big talents and compelling stories from across the Middle East — it is an essential part of what we do. And you know what? You can admire what someone creates — and that is one thing. But the real question is always: do they have something to say? The truth is, you never really know until the interview begins. Usually, it takes 10 or 15 minutes to figure it out. But this time, the spark happened within the first three.

That is how it all began — with two incredible women from Iran: the CEO and designer of the fashion brand called “ Aga Bibi”, Mehrnoosh Shahhosseini, and her business partner Yassi Tahmasb. There was so much passion, so much love for what they do, and so many layers of meaning. You know that feeling when you ask a simple question and get an unexpectedly powerful answer? That was exactly it.

How did they build a fashion brand in Iran? What is their most notable collaboration? And what dream are they chasing next? It is all below. Enjoy!

— Let’s start from the beginning. When was the Aga Bibi brand launched? I read that it started in 2004 — is that true?

Yassi: The brand, Aga Bibi, was officially launched in 2023. But I understand where the confusion comes from — if you look online, you will often see 2004 mentioned, and that is partially true. The designer behind it, Mehrnoosh Shahhosseini, actually runs two Instagram pages under the same umbrella. One is for her original clothing line, which began back in 2004, and the other is dedicated to shoes and accessories — things like bags, socks, and sandals. Technically, it is all one brand, just split into two distinct categories.

She is one of the most respected designers in Iran — she has been working in this industry for years, and people here really look up to her. Honestly, if you lived here, you would absolutely know her name. So I feel incredibly lucky to be working with her, helping grow the brand, and seeing where we can take it next.

Mehrnoosh: In the beginning, the product wasn’t clearly defined — I was simply experimenting with ideas and materials. Then one day, in Tehran, I came across a beautifully made local sandal. It really struck a chord with the values I wanted the brand to reflect. That moment became the starting point. From there, I began working with upcycled materials that naturally aligned with Aga Bibi’s story. It has been a fluid, evolving process ever since.

— How did the idea of creating the brand originally come about back in 2004?

Yassi: It is something she has always wanted to do. She dreamed of having her own factory — a space where she could make clothes for children. That idea has been with her from the very beginning. She has always had a passion for working with materials, experimenting, and creating pieces that felt personal and unique.

— Maghnoosh, I know you studied architecture — what made you choose fashion instead?

Maghnoosh: Yes, I studied architecture — that was the path I chose many years ago. And to be honest, it is a long story. But what I can say is this: I never truly felt at home in that world. There was always a little voice in my head saying, you are not quite good enough for this.

With clothing, it is completely different. I am not afraid. I don’t second-guess myself. I just go with it — I trust my instincts, I create, I keep moving forward.

Of course, the two fields are connected. People often say to me — "It is obvious you have got an architectural background — it shows in your designs". And they are right. Architecture gave me structure, discipline, a sense of proportion. But fashion — that is where I feel free.

— Maghnoosh, you started the brand back in 2004. How was it at the time? Was launching a fashion label easy?

Maghnoosh: It definitely wasn’t easy — especially not back then. I didn’t have a big team or a clear plan. I just took it one step at a time. I experimented, made things by hand, sourced materials myself. Of course, there were plenty of challenges, but I was passionate and determined. And that drive is still very much with me today.

Things are much smoother now. Our team has grown, and Yassi and I are leading it together — our collaboration has been amazing. We have also had a few more people join us. Melika Shafahi, for example — she is usually between Paris and Iran, but with everything going on in the Middle East at the moment, she has been based in Paris and helping us remotely. And then there is Houtan Karoubeh — he is focused on the technical side of things, especially the shoes. He handles everything from researching materials to working on the soles and all those tiny but important details.

— And how did the shift from clothing to shoes and socks come about? What sparked that transition?

Maghnoosh: It all happened quite naturally. I was walking through a part of Tehran where they only sell shoes — a whole district full of little factories and workshops. While I was there, I came across a pile of Birkenstock soles.

Something about them just caught my eye. I thought, "Why not take these soles and pair them with unexpected, more experimental materials? Something Birkenstock themselves would never do."

I wanted to mix that creative, slightly unconventional side of me with the comfort that people love about Birkenstocks. And that is how my own line of shoes began. It started with what was right in front of me — and from there, it just flowed.

— And what does the creative process look like today? How long does it usually take from the initial idea to the finished pair of shoes?

Yassi: It all starts quite naturally. Mehrnoosh often finds inspiration just by walking — especially through the markets. She will stroll through the streets, keeping an eye out for materials that catch her attention. Sometimes it is something most people would walk straight past, but for her, it sparks an idea.

Once that spark happens, we sit down and talk it through. Sometimes we are ready to move forward straight away, and other times we feel it is better to let the idea breathe for a bit. We go over everything together — the design, the texture, whether it fits within the collection. It is always a collaborative process.

Mehrnoosh: Yes, exactly. I love that element of surprise — when someone sees a finished piece and says, "Oh wow, you used that? You turned it into this?" That moment makes it all worth it.

When I go shopping in the old markets, I never ask for the trendy or popular items. Quite the opposite — I ask them to show me the things no one wants. Show me the drawer no one opens. I truly believe even the forgotten pieces have something to say. Every object carries a hidden message, and I love discovering that — and passing it on.

If I can find meaning in what others overlook, and share it with the next generation… then I feel like I have done something worthwhile.

— And where do you turn when you feel stuck or uninspired?

Mehrnoosh: Honestly? That has never really happened. I have never run out of inspiration — it comes from people, from all walks of life, from every corner of the world.

Sometimes, just sitting quietly and taking a deep breath is enough. Especially in Tehran — inspiration is everywhere. The moment you step outside, you see something, hear something, feel something. It finds you. There is no need to go chasing it.

— How did you come up with the name of the brand? What does “Aga Bibi” mean?

Mehrnoosh: We spent months going back and forth — three, maybe more. I really didn’t want to just pick something that sounded nice on a label. I wanted a name that carried meaning, that told a story. I wanted people to be curious when they heard it, to start conversations.

You see, I come from an older generation, but I am trying to move forward. I often feel like I am standing between two worlds — the one I grew up in, and the one we are all living in now. And what I want is to carry our culture, our habits, our traditions into that new space — but in a way that feels fresh and thoughtful.

One day, we were sitting as a family — my mum, my aunts — reminiscing about old times. And suddenly my mum mentioned someone called “Aga Bibi.” I asked, Wait... who is that? And she said, "That is your great-grandmother — don’t you remember?" And in that moment, I just knew. That was the name.

The sound of it — Aga Bibi — stuck with me. In Farsi, "Agha" is how you address a man, and "Bibi" is what you call an older woman, like a grandmother. So it holds both energies. It is not fixed to one gender — and that felt so right. Because for us, gender isn’t the point. We don’t care if you are a man or a woman — what matters is that you are kind, thoughtful, and decent. That is all.

And the sandals reflect that too — they are completely unisex. I can wear a pair, and so can my male cousin. That is the kind of beauty I believe in. That is what Persian success looks like to me — something that belongs to everyone.

— And your logo. I understand the brand name has deep roots — is the logo connected to that as well?

Mehrnoosh: Absolutely — it is all connected. The idea behind the logo was the same: no gender, no borders, no fixed roles.

I had been looking at old Persian miniatures — those beautiful classical artworks you see in Iranian history — and I noticed something. The faces repeat over and over again. The same eyes, the same eyebrows. You can’t really tell if they are male or female.

That is where the inspiration came from. The Aga Bibi face — it is neither male nor female. It has a unibrow, a gentle gaze. And you can’t quite read its expression — but there is something about it. Something quiet that draws you in.

At the heart of the logo are the eyes. They are not happy, not sad — just present. Like a piece of art that doesn’t tell you what to feel. You bring your own meaning to it. The logo works the same way — it holds space and lets you decide what it means to you.

— You describe yourself as part of the older generation, but the way you think and see the world feels incredibly current and creative. Where does that come from?

Mehrnoosh: I suppose I didn’t really understand what “creativity” meant in the same way younger generations do. It wasn’t a word we used much growing up. But over time, I have come to realise that everything around us — every object, every little detail — carries a message. If you stay awake to it, if you really look, everything begins to feel meaningful. We just need to train our eyes and minds to notice it.

Everything has a message — sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, like a secret code. And when you can read that code, even the smallest things carry weight.

Take the word "mohabbat" — it means love, kindness. In our country, that word doesn’t appear as often as it used to. It has become rare. So I try to bring it back — not loudly, not obviously, but gently. I want to place that energy into something simple, like a pair of shoes. Even if the person wearing them never realises, the feeling is still there. It moves with them. It reaches them, quietly.

That is how I see it. I don’t need to show off. I don’t want to shout about what we have created. I just want the message to live in the product, to stay close to the person who wears it. That is enough. That is what feels real to me.

— So what would you say is the key message of your brand?

Mehrnoosh: You know how, in interviews abroad, people are often asked, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” — well, here, even tomorrow is hard to predict. So we don’t pretend otherwise. Our motto is simply to stay present.

If one day we can’t make sandals anymore, we will make something else. If there is an obstacle, we will work around it. We will find a new way forward. That is how people live here — always adapting. Even we don’t always know what the next product will be. And that’s completely fine.

So the message is this: "Today we are this, tomorrow we might be that." There is no fixed plan. No rigid path. Just movement, creativity, and staying open to what comes.

— I read that you collaborated with the Iranian street artist Mr. Faker. How did that come about?

Yassi: Yes! His name definitely grabs attention here in Iran. He is a bit like our own Banksy — no one really knows who he is. Graffiti isn’t legal, so you can’t just go around painting on walls. But we were lucky — a close friend of ours helped us get in touch with him.

Mehrnoosh: You know, when we are driving through the city, we often don’t notice what is around us — unless something unexpected catches the eye. One day, I was picking up the kids from school, and suddenly one of them shouted, “Mum! Did you see the kindness on that wall?!”

I turned the car around straight away. We went back, looking for what they had seen — the word "Mohabbat" (kindness), painted across the wall. To them, it felt like a secret message, something quietly powerful and deeply personal.

From that moment on, I started dreaming of a collaboration between Aga Bibi and Mr. Faker (or as I like to call him, Mr. Mohabbat), because that is exactly what his work feels like: kindness stitched into the city.

Yassi was the one who made that dream come true. She introduced me to him.

— But how did you manage to find him in the end?

Yassi: No one really knows what he looks like — or even what his real name is. So it isn't as simple as just sending him a message.

Fortunately, we have a good friend, Shaheen, a digital artist we will also be working with soon. He had the right connections and helped us reach out. That is how it all began — through trust, through mutual friends. In a place like this, those kinds of relationships really matter.

— Was that your very first artist collaboration?

Mehrnoosh: Actually, no — the first was with Melody Hojab! She is an Iranian artist whose work has this subtle, almost cheeky sense of humour I have always admired. I had been waiting for the right moment to collaborate with her, and during a period of endless power cuts and heavy pollution in Tehran, her art came back to me. It just made perfect sense.

I selected two of her pieces and reimagined them as part of a three-pair sock set — playful, thoughtful, full of story. The third pair was made intentionally inside out. That “mistake” became part of the product — and part of the message. It was important to me to show that imperfection has its place too — just like in the spirit of the brand.

Yassi: We always try to do something unexpected with our collaborations. For instance, this summer we teamed up with one of the most popular ice cream brands here, and a well-loved café called Sam Cafe. We designed T-shirts for their team. Since our brand is Aga Bibi and theirs is Swan Cafe, we called the capsule “Aga Swan.” It was a fun little crossover.

— Every business has its own behind-the-scenes stories — those little moments along the way. Do you have one that stands out?

Mehrnoosh: Oh, absolutely — there have been quite a few! It is just tricky to recall them on the spot. But one that sticks in my mind is when we accidentally sold the same pair of shoes to two different customers — one through our website, and the other via Instagram. It caused total chaos! We had to manage it very carefully, explain the situation, and keep both customers happy.

Then there are moments that are oddly flattering — like walking through the south of Iran, on Qeshm Island, and spotting a brand blatantly copying our designs. Even in Tehran, I have come across people selling shoes that were clearly rip-offs of Aga Bibi. They had taken the exact silhouettes, the materials — everything. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but in a strange way, it confirmed we had become a trend. If people are copying you, it means you have created something worth imitating.

— So you have had to deal with copycats… but also challenges on the production side?

Yassi: Yes, exactly. One of the biggest challenges is working with factories. Once they see a product doing well, they sometimes want to partner with you — or worse, start producing it themselves and selling it on the side. They might not have access to the audience or community we’ve built, but it is still a real risk. There is no proper copyright law in Iran, so we are not really protected by the government in that sense. That is why we put a lot of effort into building strong, loyal relationships with our factories. We always pay them on time — sometimes even a bit more than usual — just to keep things clear and respectful. When you are running a business here, you have got to stay sharp and keep an eye on everything.

— And the last one! Mehrnoosh, what is your biggest dream?

— I have many dreams for the brand… but they aren't necessarily big commercial ones. One that is close to my heart — and I say this quite simply, without planning too far ahead — is to one day gift something from our collection to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. Just as a small gesture of appreciation and love. I truly admire him. He loves his people, and he loves his country.

Every month, I send him flowers on Instagram. Maybe one day, he will reply!

Who knows — perhaps someone will notice this article will end up and pass the message along. It isn't about being seen or making headlines. I just want to offer something heartfelt — something meaningful.

A big part of this brand isn’t about status or fame. It is about connecting with beautiful people — whether they are well-known or just young creatives with soul. People who still speak their own language, who haven’t lost their spark.

by Barbara Yakimchuk