look book

The Look Book Goes to Disco Tehran

Partygoers at the Iran-inspired club night and fund-raiser’s final event before it tours Europe and South America.

Photo: DeSean McClinton-Holland
Photo: DeSean McClinton-Holland

Shiraz Fazli
Fashion designer, Bedford-Stuyvesant (pictured above)

Is this your first time at Disco Tehran
No, I actually went to the first they ever had, a few years ago at Mood Ring. It was after a big Iranian football match, so there were a lot of Iranians there with their faces painted with the flag. Tonight, everyone is drinking something called Back Home beer, which was made by an Iranian woman. It has sumac and lime in it.

What sorts of clothes do you design?
I like to use recycled textiles to make things a little messy and disgusting but
also comfortable to wear and dance in. My brand name is Shirazophobia, like arachnophobia, because I used to get so many panic attacks. And then, also, people find the type of art I make weird and creepy and a little unsettling.

And what does your shoulder tattoo say? 
It says “Rodent Bait.” I did it on myself when I was 17 because I had this thought that was like, God, I keep attracting the worst people into my life. I’m like rodent bait.

Angely Montilla

Editor, Greenpoint

Elika Hefazi

Pharmacist, Los Angeles

Alfred Bridi

Immigration lawyer, Crown Heights


How’d you hear about the party? 

I’m friends with one of the founders, so I’ve been going since the beginning. A friend of mine who came to his first one tonight said to me, “Wow, at most parties, people are really just assholes. And here, people are distinctively not assholes.” 

María Romero

Fashion and textile designer, Hudson

Andrew Kamel

Student, Greenpoint


What’s on the belt?

It’s the face of Pan, the mythological god of the wild, made of brass. I love Pan — he’s always gallivanting in the forests, drinking, and trying to have sex. He has a kind of disco-daddy vibe. 

Lilia Hope Souri

Social-media strategist, Bushwick

Ari Diaz

Real-estate developer, Hudson

Saad Iqbal

Banker, Greenpoint

Jess Pullen-Schmidt

Nanny, Prospect–Lefferts Gardens

Arya Ghavamian

Artist, Chinatown

Lina Gabriela Alvarado Garnica

Artist, Bedford-Stuyvesant

Melika Abikenari

Artist, Sunset Park


How was the night?

The highlight is that they’re serving ash reshteh here. Some people call it Iranian noodle soup, but that doesn’t do it justice. The ingredients are all kinds of herbs and beans, plus reshteh and kashk. I had two bowls before it sold out, and I would have had more. 

Rob Davis

Teacher, Jackson Heights

Christopher Ulysse

Unemployed, East Flatbush

Caroline Newton

Art director, Crown Heights

Ali Aoun

Student, Bushwick

Echo Wu

Graphic designer, Chinatown


Great name.

My original name was Wu Jing, but when I was growing up, no one could pronounce it. So I asked my teacher for an idea for an English name. He said he thought Echo suited me. I didn’t know it wasn’t common. I thought it was normal, like Julia.

Mickey Ashmore

Shoe salesman, Soho

Photographs by DeSean McClinton-Holland
Angely Montilla, Editor, Greenpoint
Elika Hefazi, Pharmacist, Los Angeles
Alfred Bridi   Immigration lawyer, Crown Heights    How’d you hear about the party?   I’m friends with one of the founders, so I’ve been going since the beginning. A friend of mine who came to his first one tonight said to me, “Wow, at most parties, people are really just assholes. And here, people are distinctively not assholes.”
María Romero, Fashion and textile designer, Hudson
Andrew Kamel   Student, Greenpoint    What’s on the belt?   It’s the face of Pan, the mythological god of the wild, made of brass. I love Pan—he’s always gallivanting in the forests, drinking, and trying to have sex. He has a kind of disco-daddy vibe.
Lilia Hope Souri, Social-media strategist, Bushwick
Ari Diaz, Real-estate developer, Hudson
Saad Iqbal, Banker, Greenpoint
Jess Pullen-Schmidt, Nanny, Prospect–Lefferts Gardens
Arya Ghavamian, Artist, Chinatown
Lina Gabriela Alvarado Garnica, Artist, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Melika Abikenari   Artist, Sunset Park    How was the night?   The highlight is that they’re serving ash reshteh here. Some people call it Iranian noodle soup, but that doesn’t do it justice. The ingredients are all kinds of herbs and beans, plus reshteh and kashk. I had two bowls before it sold out, and I would have had more.
Rob Davis, Teacher, Jackson Heights
Christopher Ulysse, Unemployed, East Flatbush
Caroline Newton, Art director, Crown Heights
Ali Aoun, Student, Bushwick
Echo Wu, Graphic designer, Chinatown Great name.   My original name was Wu Jing, but when I was growing up, no one could pronounce it. So I asked my teacher for an idea for an English name. He said he thought Echo suited me. I didn’t know it wasn’t common. I thought it was normal, like Julia.
Mickey Ashmore, Shoe salesman, Soho

Angely Montilla

Editor, Greenpoint

Elika Hefazi

Pharmacist, Los Angeles

Alfred Bridi

Immigration lawyer, Crown Heights


How’d you hear about the party? 

I’m friends with one of the founders, so I’ve been going since the beginning. A friend of mine who came to his first one tonight said to me, “Wow, at most parties, people are really just assholes. And here, people are distinctively not assholes.” 

María Romero

Fashion and textile designer, Hudson

Andrew Kamel

Student, Greenpoint


What’s on the belt?

It’s the face of Pan, the mythological god of the wild, made of brass. I love Pan — he’s always gallivanting in the forests, drinking, and trying to have sex. He has a kind of disco-daddy vibe. 

Lilia Hope Souri

Social-media strategist, Bushwick

Ari Diaz

Real-estate developer, Hudson

Saad Iqbal

Banker, Greenpoint

Jess Pullen-Schmidt

Nanny, Prospect–Lefferts Gardens

Arya Ghavamian

Artist, Chinatown

Lina Gabriela Alvarado Garnica

Artist, Bedford-Stuyvesant

Melika Abikenari

Artist, Sunset Park


How was the night?

The highlight is that they’re serving ash reshteh here. Some people call it Iranian noodle soup, but that doesn’t do it justice. The ingredients are all kinds of herbs and beans, plus reshteh and kashk. I had two bowls before it sold out, and I would have had more. 

Rob Davis

Teacher, Jackson Heights

Christopher Ulysse

Unemployed, East Flatbush

Caroline Newton

Art director, Crown Heights

Ali Aoun

Student, Bushwick

Echo Wu

Graphic designer, Chinatown


Great name.

My original name was Wu Jing, but when I was growing up, no one could pronounce it. So I asked my teacher for an idea for an English name. He said he thought Echo suited me. I didn’t know it wasn’t common. I thought it was normal, like Julia.

Mickey Ashmore

Shoe salesman, Soho

Photographs by DeSean McClinton-Holland

More From This Series

See All
The Look Book Goes to Disco Tehran