Influential Iranian Women: Soraya Darabi (1983-)

“The world consumes 400% percent more clothing than 20 years ago. Cancer, asthma and neurological problems associated with chemicals used in apparel manufacturing are on the rise. The textile industry is responsible for 20% of the world’s total industrial water pollution and a full 30% of industrial air pollution in China. We have choices and those choices have an impact on the environment, the economy and all the people who are a part of the production process. A fashion e-commerce startup, zady.com believes in products with solid construction, the best materials, the lowest environmental footprint, the highest labor standards and timeless style, above all. It is addressing the impact of our wardrobes, it is building an awareness of what exists behind a label, it is providing a solution to right the wrongs of the fashion industry, and it is supporting a community of farmers, washers, dryers, millers, knitters and sewers with a deep-rooted belief in quality.”

This is the mission statement of Zady.com, an environmentally conscious online clothing company based in New York City that was co-founded by Soraya Darabi.

Darabi was born to an Iranian father and a French mother in 1983. One of her early lucky breaks was her friendship with Maxine Bédat, who is now her partner at Zady.com.

In 2005, Soraya graduated in art history from Georgetown University in Washington DC. Her first job out of college was in the communications department for the mass media company Condé Nast Digital. At 23, she became the Manager of Digital Partnerships and Social Media at The New York Times, the youngest such manager in this influential media outlet.

During her time at the New York Times, she guided senior journalists, editors and reports on how to use social media to better present their news, reports and stories. She was so successful that she made a name for herself as a master of cutting-edge digital technology and social media.

In 2007, after leaving the New York Times when she was 27, Darabi and her longtime friend Bédat designed and launched a website and then an app called Foodspotting. Central to the app were “Foodspotters” who would search their neighborhoods or places they visited for particular dishes or types of dishes they craved or wanted to try out. Foodspotters would then rate the dishes and share their experiences with the rest of the community by uploading a photo and simply saying, “I loved it!”

In 2010, following the success of Foodspotting, the American magazine Fast Business included Darabi on its list of the “Most Creative People” of the year. The same year, Foodspotting was selected by the magazines Time and Travel + Leisure as one of the best apps to have while traveling. Foodspotting was so successful that, in 2012, Wired magazine chose it as one the year’s best “foodie” apps and it was downloaded four million times by 2013.

After this resounding success, Soraya Darabi came up with another idea. Combining years of experience in e-commerce and social media, she decided to design a website that would show its users how and where their clothes were made. At the same time, this website was to take into account environmental concerns by introducing merchandise with the least negative impact on the environment but at reasonable prices.

Soraya and Maxine launched the new project in 2013 under the name Zady, which is now also known as "The Whole Foods of Fashion.” Darabi says that when she started this project she was also advising and supporting other start-ups but then decided to dedicate her whole time to Zady.

“We are building a campaign for total awareness as much as we are selling looks by fabulous designers from around the world,” Soraya and Maxine told Forbes magazine in 2014. “For our brand to succeed, our country must be convinced that this era of fast production, fast fashion, is harmful to the environment, to our economy, and to the workers who dedicate their lives to making the products we wear.   We want our community to admit that there is a better way. An alternative is to only buy from brands that are making their clothing earnestly — with partners whom they know and trust.”

Darabi was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in the same year, and has since delivered many speeches at this forum. In 2015, Fortune magazine named her as one the “40 under-40” exceptional individuals in the world.

Nowadays, Darabi spends most of her time on TMV, a firm that she founded and through which she invests in next-generation impact startups — with a focus on tech-enabled organizations across the care economy, the future of work and climate solutions. She has also founded Transact Global, a community of emerging fund managers, and she is a member of the board of trustees for RFK Human Rights.

"Mass incarceration, shrinking civic space for activists to challenge authority, a global epidemic of gender-based violence and the centuries-long fight for racial justice are daunting challenges that require true systemic change to overcome,” she wrote. “I joined the board of RFK Human Rights because of the organization’s mission to tackle these issues with practical, actionable solutions. RFK Human Rights brings together private sector leaders, medical professionals, legal, policy and human rights experts to create innovative new approaches to lasting change. It is an honor to join this diverse community of passionate advocates.”