Dorian Who appears on my computer screen, her hands adorned with silver jewellery and pointed metallic nails that catch my eye instantly. She’s wearing a white top with red detailing called “the Julien,” which she later reveals is one of her own designs. As she guides me through the garment’s intricacies, she points out the hand-finished and hand-dyed lace.

“We couldn’t find the exact colour, so I used natural things around me to dye it,” she explains, describing how she used coffee beans to achieve the subtle beige hue of the lace.

It’s perhaps a surprising approach for a streetwear brand that skews so modern in its designs—her latest collection, Off Court, features Persian rug–inspired prints and basketball aesthetics circa the late 1990s and early 2000s, showcased via the designer’s signature regal silhouettes. But her inventiveness really shouldn’t be that surprising, because it’s in her DNA. As the sole designer behind her namesake brand, launched in 2018, Who is renowned for her attention to detail and maximalist approach, using dead-stock materials to create timeless, genderless and ageless pieces. What’s more, her insistence on bending the rules of fashion production deliberately encourages wearers to defy societal norms and embrace authenticity. And fashion’s biggest power brokers are taking note. In 2023, Who won the Emerging Talent Fashion Award at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards. Since then, she’s also received acclaim from media outlets like Forbes and Vogue, both of which have praised her line’s distinctive blend of Iranian heritage, innovative design and unique approach to sustainability.

Who spent her formative years navigating challenges exacerbated by post-revolutionary Iran and international sanctions. While growing up in Tehran, Who recalls that women were expected to be very quiet and modest in how they dressed—a limiting cultural norm that led her to embrace avant-garde and maximalist elements as a way to reclaim her power.

“Everything is [focused] on self-expression because I grew up in an environment that was very restricted. I was always told what to do and what to wear, and it was not easy for me to grow up there,” Who says.

Influenced by her upbringing, her experience has not only shaped the aesthetics of her designs, but the functionality as a whole. Who’s collections are made without gender in mind—resisting the rules of her childhood— and lean into silhouettes that suit all.

“The majority of my work is inspired by my life experiences and the traumas I’ve endured,” Who says. “My designs are deeply self-expressive, as I aim to bring the beauty of pain into my work while intertwining it with my culture and heritage.”

This includes her experience being raised by a family in the Persian rug business, a reality that helped Who develop a profound appreciation for design. “Persian rugs are probably the most important thing because they’re the most beautiful artifacts in our culture. It’s one of the finest arts, and each piece is uniquely different,” she says.

Her father’s involvement as a dealer in the rug business exposed her to a world of vibrant colour and intricate patterns, a stark contrast I’ve been seeing [these prints], I’ve been
staring at [them], and then in my work, it started to just be my signature.”

Who’s design process is similarly avantgarde. “I don’t follow a traditional design process. Sometimes, I start by creating a persona—imagining who they are, their story and their essence. Other times, I begin with a single garment and let it guide me toward a full look, eventually shaping the persona that fits the design,” she explains.

In addition to a unique conceptual process, each garment is made to order, and the slow, seasonless approach to her fashion adds an innovative flair that stands out compared to other mass-produced, faster-paced streetwear brands.

Another way Who stays true to herself is via her emphasis—and insistence—on basing her business out of Canada, as opposed to a common practice in the fashion industry of outsourcing labour, seen with large-scale brands in the United States.

“I aim to run a Canadian brand entirely made in Canada,” she says, noting that she worked hard to establish herself in the country, facing challenging barriers breaking into the fashion scene as a newcomer when she first came to Canada. “Everyone kept asking for Canadian
experience, but I had just arrived. I remember thinking, I’ve only just moved here; how can I have Canadian experience?”

Despite her frustration with this demand, she forged her own path, and now wants to do what she can to help others navigate this famously difficult industry. As Who notes, it’s still not easy for businesses to remain entirely local in this country, with expensive manufacturers a barrier to consider. “We lack support, and people don’t prioritize buying Canadian-made pieces,” she says.

Prioritizing sustainablility also comes with its own challenges, and costs. Still, the designer continues to put the environment at the forefront of her brand, using eco-friendly materials and minimizing waste by repurposing dead-stock fabric and vintage clothing. And she’s dedicated to doing that in Canada. “There is potential here, and I want to challenge myself before giving up,” she insists.

As for what’s next, Who is focused on growing her business—in her effortlessly boundary-pushing way, of course.

“Innovation comes naturally to me because I see it as a gift. I’m incredibly grateful that I don’t have to force myself to stand out or be different; it’s simply a part of who I am and how I express myself.”