Princess Noor Pahlavi On What Inspires Her Style + Her Hope For Iranian Creatives
It’s Noor’s passion to see a free Iran | Photo Credit: Andrew Day
The exiled princess is a beacon of light for Iran, a style icon like her iconic grandmother and mother
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You might not know of the situation happening under the surface, of what was once ancient Persia, as the media is not reporting on it as much as it could be. But, things have been brewing in Iran since 2022, with the death of Mahsa Amini, in 2025 there were moments of tension with Israel, and earlier this month protests started heavily due to Iran’s currency collapse and the economic distress on the nation. All this has led to shopkeepers closing their shops and the people taking to the streets, which led to Iranian officials turning off the internet over the weekend. The past few days the rumored death toll was 500, but CBS News has reported over 12,00 are feared dead.
Noor Pahlavi is the daughter of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, and the granddaughter of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who, in 1979 had to flee Iran due to large-scale protests from the Iranian revolution. Noor has been active on her Instagram account, speaking out and advocating for the Iranian people. Remembering Mahsa Amini, calling out the Islamic Republic on their atrocities against women, and spending time with her family and friends are what occupies the princess’s passions on social media. The mantle on Noor’s shoulders is a big one. She stands at the center of being a cultural icon, while also equally being a beacon of light and agent of change, as she speaks up on issues that have plagued Iran for 48 years.
Speaking to SEELE, Noor talks all things style, and on the key women in her life- her mother and grandmother. Now in her early 30s, I’m curious how her style has evolved from her 20s. “My style has developed as I’ve gotten a bit older, I used to stick more with neutrals, and play it pretty safe. Now I really try to be more adventurous and start having more fun with it as a medium of expression. I am really drawn to geometric cuts, and more colorful pieces as of late.”
An alum of Georgetown University in Washington, DC, her hometown, Noor later received her MBA from Columbia University’s Columbia Business School. It’s not lost on me that if the Pahlavi family would have never had to flee Iran, that Noor might one day be the Crown Princess.
Noor’s mother and iconic grandmother inspire her fashion choices | Photo Credit: Andrew Day
At Columbia, Noor explains how a teacher impacted her style. “In my profession work life, I had a very impactful teacher who is a Columbia Business School grad Carli Bigi. She started a company that makes custom clothes for women called Laws of Motion. She was struck by the fact that there is no easy, custom fitted option for women the way there are for men on every corner of the city. Her pieces are very affordable and she works to make things super personal, sending clients things that fit perfectly after you complete a very short quiz online.”
A lover of not just fashion, her interest expands to interiors as well. During the pandemic, “I probably watched every interior design show as well as Kelly Wearstler's master class. Spending a lot of time on the Chairish app,” she says.
The style of the Pahlavi women
Turning the conversation to her paternal grandparents, I ask her favorite style moment from their reign. “There are many moments I look to, however I loved most when my grandma wore sporty clothes. This style and look were so ahead of her time particularly for a Middle Eastern monarch,” she says.
Farah Pahlavi and Noor’s mother Yasmine Pahlavi, an accomplished woman in her own right- an attorney and breast cancer survivor- are style inspirations for Noor. “My grandmother's closet is essentially the Ralph Lauren store + up and coming Persian designers (patterned skirts, boots, blazers, statement jewelry). And, I'd say my mother's style shaped mine to an extent I try to steal anything of hers I can get away with,” she muses.
“I think people gravitate to my grandmother because she's extremely graceful, but unassuming and warm. She doesn't dress or act like anyone else, it all just comes together naturally through her eye for art and her ability to recognize it in fashion.” But, if there is one thing that Noor would take from the former Empress’ closet, it’s not evening wear, Couture, or ready-to-wear. “I would actually go for her ski suits. She had a great collection of athletic wear and those looks have come back.”
Iranian style and its impact on Noor
Before Iran’s 1978 revolution, women wore vibrant Western wear. Colors, bathing suits on the beach, miniskirts and self-expression through the latest fashions was a thing. And it wasn’t just Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Syria were also the same. But revolution and a desire for the Arab and Islamic world to protect their ideals, coupled with a turning tide of internal politics changed things.
“From the pictures and videos, I’ve seen, Iranian women before the Revolution were very much influenced by French and American styles. They wore the poufy skirts in the fifties, and they wore the miniskirts in the seventies. Of course, many in Iran, even back then, chose to dress modestly as well. The beauty of choice. Women could be as creative as they wished or traditional to show off their personal style.”
“But, something that has stuck with me is a video of an Iranian fashion designer putting on a fashion show in the 60’s in Tehran Airport. This specific designer designed swimwear and seeing the models walking down the runway in elegant swimwear really struck me as it was such a contrast to the austerity women face today,” says Noor.
“Iranian women take a lot of pride in their appearance. They are also generally very well-traveled. I think as a culture we have a high standard for beauty. Even now, when women are forced to cover up, they have turned their focus to their faces. You see very dramatic and beautiful faces made up in the latest makeup trends.”
“Bottom line, no matter a women’s background, Iranian women like to look put together and refined,” continues Noor. “This was evident when my mother went to visit Iranian refugees in Greece. She mentioned with admiration that, while in unideal conditions, these women still managed to look beautiful. I believe Iranian women figure it out no matter what their circumstance and that is something I truly admire.”
I ask her when she has to dress up, who is her go-to designer for a formal event. Without hesitation she says Australian fashion designer Paolo Sebastian. And her go-to Persian, Arab, and European designers that she likes are Monot, Monse, Jacquemus, Jonathan Simkhai, Amina Muaddi.
Closing our chat, I ask if Iran were to go back to its glory days, what is her hope and dream for the country’s creative industry, for its designers and artists. “There are incredible fashion designers and artists in Iran, and most Iranians in the art world globally take great pride in showcasing these works. I hope one day they can freely exhibit their work in Iran without worry of censorship. They deserve to create and let their imaginations take them where it will without the state police threatening them.”
