Celebrating our 100th Episode with a Berlin Icon!

What better way to celebrate our 100th episode milestone (we can’t believe it either!) than with Berlin’s iconic Leyla Piedayesh? In a room packed with WAA friends, both old and new, we filled the TOR86 space with joy and laughter, reflecting on our journey from the podcast's beginnings in December 2020, to where we are today.

Photography by Anna Härlin

Leyla Piedayesh is a guest that barely needs an introduction. A prominent Iranian-German designer and entrepreneur, she is best known as the founder of the fashion label Lala Berlin which she established in 2002. Since then, the brand has gone on to gain international acclaim for its mix of capturing Berlin’s vibes with Middle Eastern-inspired patterns from her heritage. Earlier this year, Leyla also published her first book, Irans Töchter, which celebrates the strength and creativity of Iranian women through personal stories and cultural reflections.

“Having the ease to do something because it’s a passion is what led it to becoming a successful story.”

Photography by Anna Härlin
Photography by Anna Härlin

To start off the evening, Leyla began with sharing her career origins, starting at MTV, where she interviewed musicians and rock stars. Realizing that this path wasn’t right for her, she left her job and it was after visiting a flea market in Berlin, that she purchased a knitting kit and began knitting as a way to find direction. With patience and determination, something that you’ll see is a recurring theme within Leyla’s journey, she taught herself to knit wrist warmers which ultimately laid the foundation for her future in fashion.

“It’s worth having patience because I built my entire company out of that!”

Photography by Anna Härlin
Photography by Anna Härlin

Expanding on the early days of Lala Berlin, Leyla shared that early on she took a sabbatical in India to learn fashion production and hand-knitting. It was upon her return, she launched her first solo knitwear collection at the Premium trade fair. Reflecting on the evolution of branding compared to today’s, she noted the reliance on traditional PR, journalists, and agencies in a pre-social media era, whereas back then it was her relying on her own self-drive that ultimately catapulted Lala Berlin into becoming a one-woman success story.

Photography by Anna Härlin
Photography by Anna Härlin

“I thought to myself ‘I’m going to rule the world with my knitwear’”.

At this moment the discussion took a turn, with Leyla speaking openly about the hardships of running a business and the highs and lows that come with it. Speaking about how she never saw herself as a boss, but instead prioritised creativity over business management, she persevered and went on to balance her role as a single mother with a newborn while managing the demands of her team, something which would later add further complexity to her journey.

Photography by Anna Härlin
Photography by Anna Härlin

“My story is out there, and I can’t hide it.”

Speaking candidly about the challenges of becoming a self-described “control freak” and then understanding the balance of how to control whilst letting go was the best task she ever undertook in her life, with Leyla recalling “I wanted to trust and I needed to start to trust”. In a shocking moment of honesty from Leyla, she explained that it was this letting go of control and losing focus on the financial overview of her business ultimately led Leyla to face insolvency in 2023, with the life-changing news only reaching her upon returning from a major expansion trip to the U.S. where she learned that the company she had grown for nearly two decades was now financially unstable.

After receiving the shattering news, Leyla went on to share that the following months were the hardest of her life, filled with darkness, loneliness, and relentless negative thoughts. She described feeling isolated within her own mind, repeatedly questioning her future, a sentiment that so many of the audience that evening could relate to.

Photography by Anna Härlin
Photography by Anna Härlin

Despite the overwhelming darkness, she found a way to remain focused and positive, determined to keep her business alive. After months of intense struggle and courage, she ultimately succeeded to save her business, grateful for the lessons learned through this challenging experience.

“From that day I went through a tornado…There’s a lot of extensional fear that comes in that moment."

After such an experience, Leyla began reflecting on the next steps in her life and the advice she would give her daughter. Leyla spoke about how easy it can be to lose sight of the present and where you truly are in life, and called upon each of us to navigate these moments of uncertainty. For Leyla, it was a moment of surrendering and taking a step back helped her find a new path, a takeaway that we should all keep in mind for when life throws curve balls!

"This grounding gives you so much gratitude because you’re able to start loving yourself in a different way."

Photography by Anna Härlin
Photography by Anna Härlin

To close the evening on a high note, Leyla emphasised the importance of sharing experiences and supporting one another while maintaining balance in life, highlighting the value of navigating life with ease and happiness, encouraging others to glide through challenges with a sense of calm and fulfilment. We couldn’t agree more, Leyla!

“I need to pass forward what I have experienced, and to help other people.”

To celebrate our 100th episode, Antonia Anastasiadi of Sister the Brand created exclusive gold and silver bracelets as a symbol of connection, with each guest receiving one as a keepsake of the amazing community we've built together.

A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful team at TOR86 space by BOLD Communication & Marketing for hosting us on this special evening. Thank you also to Rheinsberger Preussenquelle for keeping everyone hydrated throughout this event.

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