Today we’d like to introduce you to Sima Azadegan.
Sima, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Two years ago, while the world was going through an upheaval of COVID 19, I decided for the first time in my life to put my foot into my own authentic shoes and follow my dream and passion.I created my company, Sima Collezione! I started sketching evening wear dresses. These designs would come to me in a heartbeat of a second. I started to give each of my evening dresses a name and continued to sketch up to 50 designs in a span of one month. I soon realized that these sketches are bringing back integrity, class, glamour and light which is much needed in our world. I went further with this project and decided to take apparel entrepreneurship classes online. After six weeks of taking this course, I had gathered enough information. I later got connected to a brand specialist in Italy whereby he taught me the importance of having a brand. He would emphasize that the only thing that would set you apart from the rest of the world who are making dresses would be your brand. After studying with him for six weeks, I established the mission of my brand. The mission of Sima Collezione is to empower women by bringing out each woman’s inner beauty and light while at the same time each sale will help another person in need through the brand’s charity. After establishing my brand, I decided on December of 2020 which was only six months from the start of my project to apply for New York Fashion Week!!!
On January of 2021, I received a letter that I have been selected as one of the designers to feature their collection at NYFW on September of 2021. On January of 2021, I decided to start making the dresses for my collection. On September 12, 2021, I launched my brand at the NYFW. When I came back to Los Angeles, I realized that one of the pictures of my dresses is featured in Vogue Italy. Furthermore, my collection was featured in Weekly Style Magazine as well as V Runway Magazine. A couple of weeks after, Milan fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week invited me to present my collection in February of 2022. Around two months ago, I went to Milan and featured my new collection at the Palazzo Visconti on February 23 and later, I traveled to Paris and featured my collection at the Galerie Bourbon on February 28th. Moreover, while in Paris, I got invited to go to Abu Dhabi on March 7th to feature my collection at the Forbes 30/50 International Women Summit. When I came back to Los Angeles, I was notified that my collection is featured in the top international magazines of the world such as ELLE, HARPERS BAZAAR, MARIE CLAIRE. Moreover, I am also featured on the Instagram of FORBES!!!!!! In two years, I have accomplished what no other designer has ever done before. Surprisingly, without ever taking a fashion class or having a fashion degree. I only listened to my heart and followed my passion and my dream. I am here to encourage as well as inspire other women to do the same. It’s very important to believe in yourself and the mission you were destined to accomplish. We only have one life to live and we are capable of manifesting the life that we desire the most to live.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In any entrepreneurial journey whereby you are passionate about your cause, there are always obstacles that you have to face. From the beginning, I received a lot of resistance and backlash!! Oftentimes, these doubts were coming from my own mind, but most importantly from the people who were closest to me.
Two years ago, when I started my journey, I had the vision to create the most beautiful dresses that the world has not yet seen and at the same time help charities. People closest to me challenged my vision as well as my capabilities and tactics on how to bring this vision to reality. I would receive a lot of negative remarks and unsupportive attitude. Nevertheless, I used all the resistance to further strengthen me and move me further with my journey. I decided to only listen to myself and follow my own intuition.
I can say with a lot of confidence now that I have proved all the “No Sayers” wrong!!!
Without any fashion degree or fashion classes, I have achieved in 2 years what no fashion designer has done in the WORLD!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
During the dark days of COVID, I created my fashion company, Sima Collezione. There are over 50 designs in my collection. All of these designs have come to me from my higher consciousness. Each of the designs are different, but yet very cohesive to my theme. I have used bold solid colors with the best silk fabrication. I have designed each dress with Swarovski stones and other embellishments. Each of the dresses are a work of art! Furthermore, I have infused a theme within each dress and have created an artwork that exemplifies the theme of the dress. For example, My RED DRESS: It’s made with all red silk fabrication. It has an umpire style boustier refined with red Swarovski baguettes. It has an overlay skirt made with red chiffon. At the bottom of the overlay skirt, I have designed over 15 infinity signs with small red Swarovski stones. The theme of the red dress is about the red rose which stands for love, compassion and the eternal goddess within you. The infinity signs at the bottom explain that love is infinite!!! It’s here, there, tomorrow and forever…
By giving a theme to each dress, I am introducing a deeper concept for dresses. I am giving a meaning and an essence which I believe no couture designer has everyone before. I would like to create a movement in the apparel industry where there is much more meaning and value given to dresses and how ladies can represent themselves in the world. Most importantly, through my fashion collection, I would like to spread positive consciousness to all the women around the globe.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As the third child of an immigrant family, I was very submissive and wanted to please other people. I did not have a voice!! I started my classical piano training at the age of nine whereby, I was performing all around the state of California. By 17 years of age, I go to the University of Southern California and by 21 years of age, I get married.
Throughout most of my adult life, I did not have a voice to stand for myself and express my opinion. I was a piano teacher for 20 years and worked for charities and my community.
Not until I was 36 years old when I decided to work on myself and discover my own truth. I went on the journey of my inner consciousness which I call the dark days of my soul for 15 years. At 50 years of age, I had a soul awakening and decided for the first time in my life to stand for my own truth and my authentic self. That is when Sima Collezione was created and it has surely been a dream come true for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: sima@simacollezione.com
- Website: https://www.simacollezione.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/Simacollezione/
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Sima.azadegan1
Image Credits:
Earthlink, Mohtadi Mirak, and flying solo
