The word “couture” in the current fashion climate has found itself virtually without meaning—a frustratingly morphing term that now implies exaggerated elitism more than anything else. What never changes, however, is the essence of the word, which suggests bespoke creation and attention to detail (it stems from the Old French cousture, or “sewing,” and before that from the Latin consutura: “to sew together”). It is a rare and beautiful thing when a young designer comes along with the intention to keep those basic intentions at heart.
Pedram Pasha Taheri, the designer behind the brand Pedram Couture, has managed to break through the concrete barrier of gown culture by embracing couture’s core principal of exhaustively careful construction.
After growing up in Iran, emigrating to the United States after his father died, and now living in
Louisiana, the designer has uniquely mastered the eveningwear “X” factor, honed it, and developed it into an aesthetic all his own.
Among the multiple arms of his Baton Rougebased and budding empire (Evening, Bridal, and
Ready to Wear) he has managed to shape a contemporary perspective on the traditional, in a genre of fashion that grows stale all-too easily.
With time, Pedram Couture gradually adopted a social media community of “seekers:” women with highly visible personas (most notably a dedicated clique of high-profile reality stars like Gretchen Rossi and Nene Leakes and singer Christina Milian) who began taking to social platforms to seek out Pedram pieces and subsequently displaying them to their audiences.
His tailored gowns, weaved with the fabrics of the elite houses and washed in universally hypnotic shades (most notably gold, but he’s recently branched into deep reds), have shaped the Pedram identity. It comes, then, as no surprise that Taheri comes from a background in interior design. There is no difficulty in recognizing the appreciation for the synergistic relationship between design and measure in Pedram Couture.
While there are core elements of Taheri’s vibrant personality that have and most like will always be palpable in his creations, you can also see a stream of steady maturation in the collections, year after year. Refining one’s own point of view over time is an important characteristic for any designer, most importantly one that works in made-to-order.
And while the integrity of couture is always something to celebrate, and the foundation of his brand, Taheri plans to dedicate new energy to ready to wear this year.
