Gucci coat. Phillip Lim top. Agmes earrings. Prounis ring. Pomellato ring. Not visible: Sheertex tights, Suzanne Rae shoes.. Now, I can't sing. I don't want to sing." — Googoosh
, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly breaking the mandatory headscarf law. Some estimates at the time of this writing suggest 516 people have died, including 70 children. Over 19,000 have been arrested.. Now, I can't sing. I don’t want to sing," Googoosh says, her voice breaking as she fights back tears.
Iranian women are not a monolithic group. Many across Iran have been proudly wearing headscarves as part of their culture and faith for centuries. At the same time, there is a broad swath of the population who do not want to be forced to wear hijab. It's a situation Googoosh understands well. Her upbringing reflects Iran's diverse and pluralistic communities.Born as Faegheh Atashin in 1950, Googoosh comes from a traditional conservative family in Tehran.
I ask her what the young women leading the protests in Iran have taught her. She answers with two words: bravery, strength. She's proud the baton has been handed to them. "These young kids are saying, 'Kill me,' so that we can find freedom for the next generation," Googoosh says. Throughout her early career, Googoosh often changed her hair. When she cut it into a short pixie, the style became so popular that people started calling it the "Googooshy."
Mya admits she didn't realize the full extent of Googoosh's global stardom until a few years ago when she looked up her grandmother on the internet and found documentaries about her. "I don't think I ever asked her. I would just watch a lot of stuff," she says. "I don't think I really understood how much of an icon she was."
While Persian women's olive skin, large hazel eyes, and thick eyebrows have long been a source of envy for many, the Persian nose not so much. Nose jobs to fix perceived imperfections are very common among young women in Iran. Versace top and cardigan. Darius ring. Khiry ring. Not visible: Simon Miller pants, Sheertex tights, Suzanne Rae shoes.