Also Journal

Elle Azhdari’s creativity can’t be tamed. Whether designing streetwear (she founded the cult label The Fan) or turning her attention to brand and art direction, Azhdari’s intergalactic vision is in another realm. Her latest discipline? Pastry art. And the otherworldly cakes, exquisite jellies, and mouth-melting miniatures do not disappoint.

Speaking from Stockholm with birds twittering in the background, the Persian-Swedish artist talks burnout, new beginnings, and the reality of being a political refugee.

How’s your week going?

It’s fucking busy [she laughs], but I’m not complaining. When you have very limited space to work in, you have to really plan your schedule and that’s always a bit of a challenge. 

You’ve had an incredible career journey so far. How did you segue from designing clothes to creating pastry art – was it a purposeful change? 

It wasn’t necessarily a calculated move; it came about because I had a massive burnout in 2018. I didn’t work for a year and a half, I just focused on taking care of my body and brain. I adopted the Keto diet, which really helped me heal from the inside. I was cooking an awful lot and found it so grounding; my mother could see this and encouraged me to learn the pastry chef trade, she knew I’d put my own spin on it. Within a week, I’d enrolled in a school. I ended up doing a year-long apprenticeship [including at Michelin-starred restaurant Frantzén] and learnt so much. It feels very fulfilling, but – how do I put it – for someone who’s so spontaneous, there’s a lot of planning involved [she laughs]. I’ve had to develop parts of my personality that have been quite dormant. 

What was it like going back to the starting blocks and learning something new?

Oh my god, it’s hilarious to think back on. People don’t really talk about crossing worlds like that, you’re dealing with completely different people. When you live in, say, East London and you’re part of a creative community, it’s just totally different from working in a contained kitchen environment. It was really challenging sometimes, I had several meltdowns along the way, but to be honest with you I always had faith. I’m someone who doesn’t just hope something will work out, I know it will. It’s like a belief system, I just know that I’m on the right path. 

You like a challenge then.

100%. When things get too comfortable it’s time to shake things up.

Switching from creating The Fan’s incredible love-forever bomber jackets to perishable pastries is such an interesting contradiction.

I know [she laughs]. 

Do you miss that side of things?

My interests always guide what I do professionally. The Fan was born out of my lifelong obsession with icons and pop culture. And then when I moved back to Stockholm [after the burnout] it was like my whole system got a value upgrade. I don’t know how to explain it. I couldn’t recognise myself, the stuff I used to enjoy didn’t quite resonate with me in the same way anymore. So, I sometimes miss it but not really, no. I think I’m always going to create products, but they’re going to manifest in different ways. Right now, I use pastry as a medium to self-express.

Taking it back to your childhood: you and your family were political refugees. Arriving in a foreign country not knowing the language must’ve been disorientating…

To say the least. I think it’s so important to bear in mind that refugees don’t voluntarily (so to speak) leave their countries, they leave because they have to. Everything is different, from the climate to the language barriers and societal norms. I was six so I adjusted quickly but it must’ve been insane for my parents – Iran and Sweden are like night and day. 

To what extent do you think your Persian-Swedish heritage plays a part in your work? 

That’s so interesting to think about because, honestly, I don’t feel at all Swedish, I can’t connect to that side of things. If I were to label my experience, I’d call it Persian-London. I moved there for university when I was 20 and that stuff really shaped me – the friends, the art, the music, the culture. But yes, I think my Persian heritage is 100% there in my work. It comes out in my flavour combinations and decorativeness, which is rooted in the symmetry, patterns and colours of Islamic architecture. And you can’t forget the beautiful rugs and poetry. That richness has always been with me and I don’t think I can ever get rid of it. 

Who or what inspires you and where do you look for inspiration? 

To be honest, I think I’ve reached a certain age where I’ve got so much in me, I’ve gathered so many experiences, that I tend to look within. I sit and dream a lot. Travelling is always inspiring too. 

When you talk about age like that, I find it funny because you look like you’re in your 20s…

Ha! People always say that. I think it’s because I live by this motto: “Keep your spirit young and curious” and I’ve always believed in that. Really great skincare helps too.

Speaking of – what is your skincare routine?

Stay out of the sun! Honestly, my friends think I’m a vampire. My mother has always taken really great care of herself and that’s filtered down to me. I’m not into fillers or stuff like that so I focus on my skincare. I like the hardcore shit [she laughs] rather than the super organic oily stuff. I use a lot of ZO Skin Health, SkinCeuticals, and Noon Aesthetics.

What product do you buy on repeat?

I swear by SkinCeuticals’s C E Ferulic. It is so good. I have Middle Eastern skin so I’m quite prone to pigmentation, especially after the summer, and C E Ferulic is fucking insane, it’s like a magic formula. I’ve been using it for years now and it’s fantastic. 

How do you define beauty?

It’s obviously in the eye of the beholder, but if I’m going to get deep… I went to the Sahara Desert earlier this year and I’ve never seen such beauty in my entire fucking life, I was in absolute awe. So, for me, beauty can be whatever, it doesn’t need to be symmetrical or anything, but it needs to give me that ‘wow’ feeling like I had when I went to the desert – that beauty felt transformative.

Beauty as a feeling – I love it.

Exactly. It’s not just what you see, it’s how it makes you feel. 

So, back to cakes: how do you begin a design, what’s the starting point?

My creations aren’t simply sponge-filling-sponge-filling, each one has around five to seven different flavours. So, it could be a sponge and then a compôte, then a layer of crispy chocolate balls and then a panna cotta and then a jelly and a mousse. As a result, there’s a lot of freeze time between each layer, so that stuff is meticulously planned. But when it comes to the décor… I come up with the colours and toppings, the design of it all, during the 10-minute walk from my flat to my studio. I never sketch or have an image reference, it’s just in my head.

Do you have a favourite project to date?

When I had my burnout, I had to learn to be present and live in the moment. So, I always say my favourite project is the one I’m working on right now because then it can be as great as I want it to be. Right now, I’m working on a 4-hour-long, 300-person dinner for a big brand. I’ve been asked to creatively direct the space and the entire dining experience, as well as provide the pastry art. The timeline is really short but it’s a lot of fun. It’s interesting because it goes back to the branding work I’ve done in the past; it’s combining my old world with my new one.

Who would be your dream collaborator?

I keep circling back to Lego. It makes sense because I treat my work in the same way – building something from scratch and working with moveable parts. And I love the fact that it’s primarily for kids because their expressions are the best, their eyes go BOOM when they see my work. 

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

A dark cinema when it’s a heatwave outside.  I love that shit because it’s normally just me in there and I can zone out and do nothing, I’m in another world.

What is your current state of mind? 

Expansive, very expansive. 

Your most treasured possession? 

For work, my airbrush gun. But personally, it’s a gold necklace I always wear. It’s a symbol of Zoroastrianism – one of the oldest religions in the world – and stands for good thoughts, good words, good deeds. I always carry it. People ask to borrow it and I’m like hell no. 

Who are your heroes? 

I admire a lot of people, but at the end of day, it’s always going to be my parents. I often think of my life in parallel: if I was still living in Iran, I couldn’t have done any of this stuff, so I am eternally grateful. They sacrificed everything for my brother and me to have a better life – that’s some real hero shit.

And finally, what’s next on the cards? 

I want to nail myself an agent and then start working internationally. After the summer I need to get serious about that. That’s my aim for the next year.

And judging from her track record, I don’t doubt that she can achieve it. 

Stay up to date with Azhdari’s latest projects and pop-ups here.

@elleisunbelievable