Underrepresented: Breaking Free from Iran to Build New Fashion Worlds with Mersedeh Heydari

Founder of Heymers Academy and Moodi Studio, Mersedeh Heydari shares her entrepreneurial journey as an underrepresented founder merging architecture, fashion, and game design to create immersive creative experiences. She discusses the resilience required to navigate cultural and systemic barriers in Iran, and the importance of representation for emerging creative talent. She emphasizes that there is no perfect world, and that thriving under Iran’s strict social and cultural standards has not only tested her perseverance but also ignited her creativity, shaping the bold, boundary-pushing vision that defines her work today.

Building Creativity & Opportunity in Fashion- we learn how: 
 • Turning cultural and governmental barriers into opportunities – how to innovate in a country like Iran. 

 • Fashion meets game design – using interactive storytelling to express identity and culture.

 • Students as collaborators – integrating education and industry to nurture emerging talent.

 • Shaping our identities and businesses in tandem- informing creative decision-making through lived experience 

Connect with Mersedeh on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mersedeh-heydari

Check out Moodi Studio: www.themoodistudio.com

Check out  Heymers Academy: www.heymers.com

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at podcast@beyondform.io. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Transcript

Beatrice: 0:00

Hello, I'm Beatrice Newman. We're doing something a little different for this series and I'll be your host instead of your usual host, Peter. This is the Underrepresented Entrepreneur Series. Being a Black female founder myself, I know how hard it can be to do business in London. This series tells the stories of founders that have successfully navigated business where sometimes their backgrounds limit opportunities. In today's episode, we're joined by Mersedeh Heydari, founder of Moodi Studio a visionary mind merging the worlds of fashion and gaming to empower women worldwide. Her journey hasn't been one of single hurrah moments or perfect plans, but of resilience. When one door closed, she found another way through. Along the way, she's navigated industries full of rules that weren't always made with women in mind. Now, As she builds her team and shapes her academy, she's designing not just clothes or games, but a blueprint for the kind of world she wants to live in. It may never be perfect, but what if the pursuit of perfection is exactly what makes it worth building?

Mersedeh: 1:15

Problem is meaning of having a perfect world. Like it's the perfect world. When I was Iran, everything is about being Iranian and every problem is about us and our country is like something, you know. But at the end, I found Let's get this

Beatrice: 1:36

conversation going with Mersedeh on today's episode of Venturing into Fashion Tech. Hello friends of the podcast and hello Mersedeh. I'm really looking forward to having this conversation with you. Let's just start. Could you just tell us who you are and what do you do?

Mersedeh: 1:52

I studied architecture first and then I changed it to fashion design, which is my core major. And at the moment, I'm studying game design. But during all of these times, I had an academy because I believe in teaching and having some, you know, professional education. And because of that, I decided to create an academy and, you know, help the people to learn fashion more professionally. So then I decided to create a Moody Studio, which is, I mean, a creative space to give people the chance to show them creatively. I mean, in a way of, you know, fashion games and everything that we are going to have, I mean, conversational about that as well. And that said, yeah, I can say that I'm a creative person and trying to explore worlds by building, I mean, something creative as well.

Beatrice: 2:48

I'm just loving this dynamic mix of architecture, fashion design, game design, and now building an academy. Let's just like break it down in chunks, right? You're also Iranian. Being brought up in Iran taught you to transform barriers into creative opportunities. Can you share maybe a specific moment that mindset shifted your path as a founder?

Mersedeh: 3:11

To be honest, growing up in Iran, you get used to working around limits because, you know, honestly, that shaped how I think as a founder at the moment. There is no single aha moment that I can, you know, remember and I want to share because when things didn't go as I planned, Instead of stopping, I decided to find another way. So that mindset is basically how I build my work because if one door is closed, you can make your own door. All of this mindset came from growing in Iran because back then I had to find some way at the end because you cannot just stop living. So that's it. This is my mindset.

Beatrice: 3:59

I really like that and I'm very familiar with the phrase, one door closes and another door opens. So could you just enlighten us about maybe something that didn't go according to plan, but then, and I guess that's the door closed. And what then did you do for the other door to open?

Mersedeh: 4:18

I remember back to the coronavirus pandemic, I was working for, I mean, huge company. before the coronavirus I mean started I decided to leave that company I didn't know anything about the corona so I was thinking if I leave this company I can go for another company I can you know have some promotion I had that idea in my mind but once I quit that company. So the coronavirus started. After that, I was thinking, so what I can do at the moment, because there is no job interviews, there is no something that I can do because I'm a fashion designer and everyone's in a quarantine. They don't want to go to the party or outside. They're just locked in the house. So I decided instead of, you know, stopping and thinking that I, my life is just, you know, done and I cannot do anything. I decided to run the academy that I have already by turning the courses in person to online. So that was really difficult for me because I hadn't any chance to have an online courses before, but I was trying to shaping everything together at the moment that most of the people didn't have that much money as well to spend for courses and learning fashion design during that time, because everyone's just thinking this coronavirus is going to be done by next month. But the mindset was, you know, finding a solution and trying to shape the limit to something that you can use the benefit from that. So So I decided to design, I mean, courses like fashion based on creativity. And I tried to, you know, make all of the courses interactive because I knew that the people just, you know, lose the connection with their friends because they cannot see them. They cannot have the communications. What if we use that, I mean, limit in our class? It turned out that all those moments were really, I mean... Amazing for all of us. I mean, it helps me, it helps them. So that's one of the things that I can remember. It changed my life because if I didn't, I mean, make that decision. So maybe at the moment I was just an ordinary fashion designer, but at that moment I changed my life and the life of all those students as well.

Beatrice: 6:45

I don't doubt that. And that sounds really amazing. And we'll dig into that a bit later. But going back to your answer, you also talk about barriers in Iran that you face. What were those types of barriers?

Mersedeh: 6:58

We have lots of rules that we have to follow. Most of them are not maybe well-shaped. Most of them are not maybe fair. I mean, especially for women. So, for example, if you do modeling in Iran as a woman, you can be arrested by police. That's not something that we can change at all. Even if you want to dress as you like as a man, you cannot because maybe they can just notice you about your style as well. So all of these boundaries and all of these barriers is kind of something you cannot change it, but you can shape your mindset. You can find a way to see and tell people the story that you carry on. And mine was hiding the face at the moment and not allowing them to not notice me about all of the rules. I can shape an outfit. to just say something about my mindset, about the things that I want to share. It's not about the body. It's not about the gender. It's about having the freedom. It was very difficult to shaping all of this and having all of them at the moment because I was learning as well, because I wasn't ready for all of this. And I didn't want to make trouble for me and my family and especially for my students because I was responsible for them as well. But I think at the end, we found out how we can, I mean, share our idea, share our thoughts without any, I mean, risks. But to be honest, I had to come here to be more free and, you know, have the chance to say the stories loudly. Of course, I had to.

Beatrice: 8:40

Wow. I mean, that's really deep and I can only... empathize with being in such an environment that I guess is not as liberal, but it also comes down to culture and tradition too. And I think how we have to re-manage how we work within those areas, sometimes understanding, sometimes not understanding, but it's really great to see how even in such challenges, you're able to really build a platform that not only has supported your career, but those in which you are teaching and working with. So I'm also really interested in the introduction. You talk about being an architecture major or at least being educated in architecture. How has that shaped, if any way, where you're going with fashion and I guess just your knowledge in general within the creative space?

Mersedeh: 9:32

To be honest, if you want to study fashion design in such countries like the UK, it's really great. But if you want to be a fashion designer in Iran, you cannot find the good courses that you can attend because of all of that rules. My reason wasn't this. I decided to go to the studying architecture because of my aunt, because I've been involved with art and architecture and all of this when I was just a child. So at that moment, I thought that that's my major. But when I started having that courses and the modules, so at the end, I was thinking, I cannot build a world with architecture because, you know, I haven't that chance to have that, you know, to build that apartment or something like that by my own. So what if, if I want to create something, what if I can go to the world of fashion? Because by that, I can design a clothes, I can design outfit, and I have that much money to do it by my own. That's a person that's not eager to ask for help for parents. And to be honest, the economy doesn't allow most of the people in Iran to follow their dreams because you need money to build your dreams somehow. It's kind of a naked truth. Because of all of this, I decided to go to the fashion industry to learn how I can shape my idea to the form of the clothes. Because by this, I could do everything. I could design everything. But after a while, I've just changed my mind to match fashion and game. Because by this, I can design a world. I can just design something and I can have a world about that. I can say a long story about the world that I imagine in my mind. But what if I can't Make it true. What if all of dreams that I have for current world that we are living in comes true? So by architecture, I learned a lot about the shaping the world. And it really helps me to think in any shape. And then by fashion, I learned a lot about how you can shape your stories in terms of clothes and outfit and look and colors. And then by game design, in the middle of these worlds and merging all of them together because I need both of them. I need to design some environment and then color it. I need to design a space for everything. humans and then shape it so everything comes true and everything is just I think at the end everything is just makes sense but at first I wasn't sure I was thinking maybe I'm lost because I was just changing the majors and everyone told me that for example why you're deciding to change majors of architecture to fashion design why you're studying game design instead of MA fashion design At the moment, I'm sure why I'm doing this because I need all of this, you know, knowledge.

Beatrice: 12:42

Absolutely. I think that's really inspiring. And I really love the idea of your vision in creating worlds. And it almost just feels like we're being sort of catapulted into this alternative reality of creativity. Somehow a bit of an escape from an environment that you have experienced into something that's a little bit more free. I don't know if that's the case, but I I almost feel like that's what it is and that's how that vision's come about. You once described building your team by turning students into collaborators. So how do you identify and nurture emerging talent and why does that matter?

Mersedeh: 13:20

When I started to have my academy, my idea was in building my team in future. And I was really patient for it because it took more than five years to get there. And it usually starts when I see, with seeing how they, approaches to the projects in class. For example, when I see and when I say something about new project, new idea, new, you know, collection, how someone approaches to the project to be involved. I see this first and then try to give them some opportunity to express themselves freely during the class without any push. Because, for example, if you know your manager is here, maybe you work like more professional or more, you know, something efficiently. But when your manager is not here, sometimes maybe you go for coffee just to have a break. And that's it. If I say to them that I'm kind of considering you as a team member for my studio, but when I didn't say this to them and just observing the process, so it's really easy for me to pick someone who is really talented, who is really encouraged about just, you know, building something with me. So when I see that spark, I start giving them some small real project to testing them, how they, you know, manage everything. If it clicks, so we build from there. I love turning students into collaborators because they already understand all of my cultures, all of my disciplines, because I have lots of disciplines in my work. We don't have any education in fashion design in Iran and we don't have that much brands that gives you that experience. about industry as well. Because of all of this, I have to be more serious about teaching during the class to be sure everything is fine with them. The outcome is great for them as well because most of them are not just joining us. They're joining the other brands, the bigger brands. I have to be sure that first everything is fine. And then when someone is eager to join, why not? I can give them some chance.

Beatrice: 15:41

think the idea of using students as future collaborators is one that perhaps the industry should be taking a lot more seriously because you're right you know students are usually with their tutors between three to four years so they get to know you they get to understand the landscape better and like I was saying they just become a lot more in tune with I guess the culture of the person and the work that they're trying to do and It's also supportive, I think, of a creative future economy that in a way has broken down a lot because we're not making that space for students. I think a lot of it's got to also do with just education. We talk about internship and that would have been the best way, right, to develop students into collaborators. they're not seen necessarily as that, are they? When we go into internships, it's more like a touch and go. You don't get to learn as much. And in majority, I don't want to say for all. So I really think that approach that you're taking is wonderful. And I'm really looking forward to seeing how Moody progresses, your Moody studio progresses and grows. But I also just wanted to sort of backtrack just slightly because I feel like when you talk about your past in Iran being Iranian and some of the non-liberal aspects of your tradition and culture it almost feels like fashion is quite oppressed would you agree that fashion is oppressed as opposed to free in Iran?

Mersedeh: 17:11

To be honest at the moment We have lots of opportunity to show the fashion, you know, why about being an Iranian and all of the things that you mentioned. But I think, yes, they have lots of issues that we are facing at the moment and lots of barriers. And you cannot even find just one way in one day and that's it. So you have to be more patient about finding the way and, you know, just, you know, feel how you can affect your environment. It's not about just, you know, going to the board, going to the country, and everything is fine. There's nothing, I mean, like this for me as well. For example, when I came to London two years ago, two, yeah, two years ago. So I was thinking at that moment that maybe the most, I mean, miserable people in world are Iranian. That was my idea because, you know, everything that I checked in media was everyone are happy. Just you are not happy. So when I came to London and I saw the other cultures, they mentioned something about their life and I was, oh my God, the other countries are facing these problems as well. And when they asked me about my, for example, outfit, they were really careful about questioning my outfit because they didn't know exactly what happened in Iran. They're thinking, okay, is it okay? You don't have any hijab or that's okay. That's normal. You're wearing this outfit. And I was trying to explain everything's fine in Iran with women, with people. It's not about people. It's about the government. But when they search in front of me the name of Iran in Google, I saw the outcome and I was really shocked because the pictures that media shows about us was different. So that's why that we don't know anything about each other in the real world. We are just trying to see the news. Follow all of the things in media. You think you're alone. You're the only person that have some problems and you have some rules and all of the people are happy and doing great. But no, that's not true. Boundaries that I'm pushing is not just about being Iranian. It's about all of the people. Of course, you're facing a lot of problems at the moment. Of course, you want to change lots of things in your life at the end that you have to know people. give them some chance to express themselves and see the outcome. It's not something that you want to ask them to do the task without any education or asking them to do something without teaching them how to do that. For example, when you mentioned about internship, okay, internship takes three months usually, but like three months, you cannot learn too much. You're just doing that because of I mean, sake of internship, that's it. And then you think that everything is good. It doesn't make sense. You have to be more patient. You have to be more involved with industry. You have to find your way to go to the industry, not just, you know, touching and that's it. It doesn't work like this. At least for me, it doesn't work.

Beatrice: 20:21

No, I can attest to that as well, Merceder, because even with my own brand, I feel like three months for my experience is not long enough. Like you're just learning the ropes in three months and by six months, that's your three months in trying to, I think, build into the expertise of what you've learned. Really, I think any type of internship should be minimum, I would say, six months. But coming back to what you were also saying and answering that question, I find it really inspiring when you talk about the mixing of cultures and how sometimes we can be so focused in our own world, if you will, that we really forget there are other cultures. concepts and aspects of our mindsets in different worlds that we need to navigate and explore. So for instance, you being in one world in Iran and then coming to London and experiencing a whole different world, probably many different multicultural worlds. And I feel like the way that the marrying fashion and gaming really increasingly intersect in that kind of idea of variation. I'm really intrigued though to know what would your ideal world look like and what kind of world are you trying to build with Moody Studio?

Mersedeh: 21:35

Oh my God. To be honest, that's a kind of difficult question to answer. Not because I don't know the answer, because I know lots of things about my answers. So when I was a child, I was thinking why everyone just complained about the situation that they're facing instead of doing something for that. So the idea of building a world or a game comes from this because I was thinking why I'm not trying to build a world with the rules that I think it's okay. But there is one problem that you cannot solve it at the moment. And I'm not ready to solve it. I'm sure I will not ready to solve it by end of my life as well. Because each year I'm experiencing something new. So without that experience, I don't have that knowledge to solve the problem. The problem is meaning of having a perfect world. Like it's the perfect world. Because for example, when I was in Iran, So I mentioned this to you that I think, that I thought, to be honest, everything is about being Iranian and every problem is about us and our country is like something, you know, something that I can understand. But at the end, I found out that's not about me and being Iranian and about my country. There are lots of people and are trying to survive as well. So what if I decided to design a world based on that knowledge at that day? So the world wasn't great. At the moment, I'm experiencing and I'm learning a lot. I don't know anything. It's not enough about the other cultures as well. So what if I design something at the moment and I tell this, this is the perfect world, but it doesn't. It isn't because it's not about everyone. I just have my experience so far. It's not about everyone around the world. So I have to learn and I have to design side by side. Each year is going to be improved. I cannot have a world and say that's the perfect world that I love to have. No, there is no world like this. But I know I'm designing a world at the moment. I think so far it's good, but I'm really open to change it. I'm really open to improve it. If, for example, we have somebody from USA, you know, that I mentioned USA because Iranian and Americans, I mean, have a long, long wall in between because of all of the rules. So I don't know anything about Americans, just about news. But what if I get a person who works for me for my studio and who is American and who can explain the culture so it's going to shape my idea again and it's going to be affect on the world as well.

Beatrice: 24:22

I think that's really wonderful looking ahead what's your vision for expanding globally through scholarships collaborations or maybe any new format and what impact do you hope that create?

Mersedeh: 24:33

To be honest I want to keep Hamers Education, which is my academy, and Moody's Studio growing side by side because they're connected somehow, you know that. So having partners for scholarships and collaborations is amazing, of course. But my own goal is maybe fund more scholarship every year from the school's income. A way we train, you know, more talented students for making Moody's Studio more stronger, the team of the Moody's Studio. I'm really proud that having the Moody Studio at the moment, but I'm just experiencing and exploring the opportunity that maybe I have in London for being part of the university and give this opportunity to the students of the university as well, to having them in the Moody Studio, because we need that diversity for sure, because of all of the things that we mentioned before.

Beatrice: 25:27

Wow. Mersey there, it's been an absolute pleasure having this conversation with you. I have quick fire round questions. Are you ready? Yep. Okay. What's your go-to outfit when you feel like a girl boss? I love that. Like the one you're wearing, which is so cool, by the way. Two, gaming or fashion? Which do you like more? Mersey fashion games,

Mersedeh: 25:50

which I'm designing.

Unknown: 25:52

Okay.

Beatrice: 25:53

Cool, cool, cool. I love that. That's like, there's not one or the other. It's the both together. Great. What one game world you'd love to design clothes

Mersedeh: 26:02

for? Oh my God. The quick answer should be Witcher, but the long answer can be, I really love to design clothes for all of the games. I mean, there's no specific games. I really want to design all of them.

Beatrice: 26:17

Who was your style icon growing up? My aunt, my aunt. She was amazing. That's beautiful. I can imagine. And last question, advice you'd give to your younger self starting out?

Mersedeh: 26:29

I probably wouldn't give myself any advice because so many experiences that I have came from that course and, you know, fun of being younger. But I'd like to remind myself to keep my discipline.

Beatrice: 26:45

Wonderful. Thank you so much, Masuda. It's been a pleasure. And to the audience, thank you for listening in. Bye. Thank you. Thank you. Bye.