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Released on: Jan 20th, 2023

 

Dr.Maral Yazarloo-Pattrick
Entrepreneur | Fashion Designer Biker | Traveler

Talk us through your background and your journey as an individual and entrepreneur.
Travelled to India in 2004 to pursue higher education, where I completed my MBA and PhD at the University of Pune. I joined Panchshil Real Estate as a trainee while pursuing my PhD and getting ready for my research. I was born in Iran in 1981 and studied BBA at the Kar University in Tehran. Nearly 12 years of employment with the organisation ,served as Vice President in charge of the Marketing and Retail sections to pursue my goal of riding a motorcycle around the world

I really believe that in order to make our lives meaningful, we must pursue our aspirations. I do experience dreams and can recall them.
My boyhood desire, which I accomplished, was to design and launch my own brand.
My mother used to say that from a young age in life I had preferences about what I would like to wear and was very hard to change my mind, therefore I made my childhood ambition of designing and having my own business a reality.
I took a few months off after finishing my PhD and while working for Panchshil Reality to enrol in a fashion design course in Milan.
In 2012, I opened the House of Maral Yazarloo in Paris, which is also known as Ma/Ya in India and is the initials of my name and last name.
Followed by showcasing in Rome ,Milan, Dubai and different cities in India, Tehran and was part of London fashion week .

If you had to start over; would you choose a corporate career or being an entrepreneur and why?
Very tough question and everyday I asked myself the same question!
Being an entrepreneur has its own high , own satisfaction and own power but it comes with mountains of hard work !
People think being entrepreneur means owning your time, being in limelight, earning so much money and working for yourself
I don’t deny any of it , just need slight modifications

  • Owning our time :

    24/7 availability for your work , doesn’t matter it’s midnight or early morning or you are in holiday or on a bike trip or even your own wedding !!! You must be available in case of any problem or in my business important delivery of my clients outfits !!!
    When you working for a company – you are in a corporate world, technically you have 9:30 to 6:30 job and by law you are not responsible!!!

  • Earning money and being in limelight:

    It doesn’t start with this, a lot of hard work and putting your own investment and time and effort involved ! And fall thousands of time and have to lift yourself 1001 time to be successful .
    A successful entrepreneur needs to give her/his life for years and years to climb the mountains of success and she/he doesn’t give up in between, shall reach the top! But this climb can’t never stop , it’s a consistent try and making it better everyday ! As soon asone reach the first mountain peak they see the taller mountains and  this is never ending !
    I learned a lot being an entrepreneur and to be honest not ready to let it go and go back to corporate even in my hard days !
    But to be honest with you In hard, long days I do miss my fix salary and define position in corporate!!!

What is the hardest challenge you faced in your career and how did you turn it into an opportunity?
17 years ago, being a foreign girl, age 23, in the corporate world in India wasn’t at all simple. I struggled a lot to fit in! I had hard days to prove myself a 23 years old, PhD student with great aspirations and she shall attain them all, one by one
I didn’t give up with colleagues making fun of my accent, purposefully not keeping me in the loop and meetings, speaking Hindi knowing I don’t understand initially, ladies to feel insecure and men who think I’m not capable!
I was very clear: I will overcome all of these obstacles and achieve my goals!
It turns out that nothing is impossible if we put our hearts and minds to it!
I used the same characteristics that put me in a difficult situation—a girl, a foreigner with a strange accent, who is well travelled, understands fashion, and has an eye for design—as my strength and became a Vice President in retail and marketing! I should also point out that I had a fantastic employer who was my biggest support from day one, as well as co-workers who eventually grew into my strength and provided me the wings I needed to soar higher and higher.

Tell us about the uniqueness of your brand /startup?
I created 625 designs to practise and discover my USP. Although it may not appear so, I have a strong affinity with traditions. I’m drawn to anything with a long history, and through my designs, I bring that history into the present.
I’m well recognised for my fusion collection, which combines traditional needlework and designs with western silhouettes and luxurious fabrics.
And it’s obvious from the way I dress that I enjoy telling tales!
Each piece was created with such passion and has a unique narrative!
I spent 1.5 years studying traditional clothing, textiles, and designs in the most remote regions of the world that I could travel to on my bike.

Tell us about your social initiatives?
The nation where I was born and where I spent many years as a resident did not hear women’s voices, and it was unfair to them!
I support women, and all of my social endeavours centre on ensuring that they have equal rights.
“Respect Women” The most recent is called “Woman Life Freedom.”

What is your business success mantra that you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story? IM A DREAMER WHO IS A DOER
and
I NEVER GIVE UP
And I know
IT IS POSSIBLE

One special Quote/message for all communities/brands.
Whoever made it in this life time knows how tough the route is ! Don’t forget giving your helping hand to the ones who just started and crossing these curvy , tough roads
And once you move from thinking only about yourself / your brand / your business and start bringing change in this world that’s the real success to be proud of !

Any other Happy moments /achievements you would like to share with the world.
I have many !
I don’t need a huge, remarkable achievement to be happy ! I have happy moments just with passing a tough today and reaching the better tmrw !
But I remember I had tears in my eyes when I was standing front of top professors of India, wearing my saree and defending my PhD project- business ethics and confidently answering all the questions. And the moment my guide stood up and clap and shook my hand and said congratulations DR. Maral ,You need to be a foreigner who the main language is not English and left home alone at the age of 20 to understand what this moment feels like !
The moment I entered Iran as the first Iranian women traveller who travelled to all 7 continents, 64 countries majorly solo with 6 months old life growing within on my motorbike and asked the government to change the law for women !
The moment BBC world announced me as one of the top 100 powerful influential woman of the world
The moment I said yes to Alex in Machu Picchu middle of my world ride and gave birth to Nafas who travelled with me in more than 40 countries and I become a mom – another dream of mine !!!and I started seeing life in different angle!

Brand services.
I have many !
Hours Of Maral Yazarloo – will not put you in the frame which designed by the world to tell you what’s the fashion you have to follow, what color you must wear
First , we tell you to love yourself and your temple (your body ) full hearted Spend time to understand what you like and what’s make you feel great And start designing a piece for you and need your promise to wear your smile always with Ma/Ya clothes ! In my business money doesn’t come first – always love have the loudest voice !

 
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