New Orleans designer Pedram Pasha Taheri says seeing a celebrity strutting on the red carpet wearing his design would be a dream come true. He’s been obsessed with the red carpet since he was a child. Some of his work reflect Persian styles from years past, a legacy of his Iranian heritage. He was born in the Middle East, but his fashions are flourishing in Louisiana, with studios in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
According to Pedram, whether it’s the Grammys or the Oscars, what you see on that famous stretch of red can be a game-changer in the couture world.
“That, all of a sudden becomes a trend! And everybody wants to wear emerald green because Angelina Jolie wore it or something like that,” explains Pedram, as he inspects gorgeous garments hanging in his newly opened downtown atelier.
He dreams of one day dressing Taylor Swift or Angelina Jolie. He says pleasing the celebrity crowd means shooting for the stars when it comes to their expectations.
“If they want one dress you want to send 2 or 3 dresses in case this doesn’t work. You never know until the last minute. A lot of people wait until the last day to even choose what they’re going to wear,” says Pedram.
NeNe Leakes of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” has several of Pedram’s pieces to choose from. She’s a presenter at an Oscars preview party. One of the dresses has ostrich feather and crystal accents.
Everyone wants to wear an exclusive—but that’s not enough. Designers hope busy stars can make time for at least two fittings, so that the one-of-a-kind creation can be a perfect fit. Designers study the body of the person they’re dressing, to make sure the piece is just right.
“All the curves are highlighted perfectly; it’s not too loose it’s not too tight, it’s not too short or too long,” says Pedram. And he says Oscar-worthy perfection starts with the right fabric choice.
Whether he’s dressing someone for the red carpet or a Mardi Gras ball, Pedram likes to visit Promenade Fine Fabrics on St. Charles Avenue. We followed him around the rainbow-colored shop to see what fabrics made him pause. From Chantilly lace to the latest black and gold stretch fabric from Armani, Pedram found plenty of inspiration.
After all, making the right selections at the fabric store is often what leads to a win on that coveted red carpet.
