Leyla’s land

The story of Leyla Piedayesh begins in Tehran, the Iranian capital, where the future fashion designer spent her childhood. When Leyla was nine, her family fled to Wiesbaden and opened a small boutique. Now, as an adult, she owns the fashion label, lala Berlin, which as the cliché goes, she built from nothing but an idea. This, in just a few sentences, is the fairy tale about Leyla. And as usual, when you summarise stories, you don’t get the full picture.

I didn’t like fairy tales as a child. The problem was the princesses – always incredibly well brought-up, always waiting passively for their prince, having very few hobbies apart from complaining about mattresses not being soft enough, and occasionally being kidnapped by witches or dragons. Their only real goal being to get married – ideally while they were still very young. We never know what happens to the princesses afterwards, apart from that they lived happily ever after, spending the rest of their lives cooped up in a castle. Maybe some of them end up realising that it’s not all that great to immediately tie themselves to a man who woke them up unexpectedly from a long nap with an unsolicited kiss.

Leyla Piedayesh is no fairy tale princess

Maybe one of the royal children is extremely difficult, with a sign on the door proclaiming “Little royal children only” and “No mothers allowed!”. They never cover this in fairy tales. And the princess never thinks about any of these issues because next to beauty, the main quality of a fairy tale princess is that she doesn’t think.

This is why it would actually be insulting to refer to Leyla as a fairy tale princess. Sure, she is attractive – unbelievably so – but that’s also where the similarities end. Leyla is strong, independent, demanding, very rarely obedient, and sometimes quite loud. She wouldn’t last two minutes as a fairy tale princess.


Leyla Piedayesh, Ronja von Rönne, l-r, Berlin, 2018, Porsche AG

The conversation was all about business and pleasure, passion and laughter

Unlike in fairy tales, Leyla also rarely had things just handed to her. Her lala kingdom was not laid at her feet by any prince, but instead was forged by Leyla herself, from the very first arm warmers. She discovered the brightly coloured arm garments at the flea market in Mauerpark, Berlin in her early 30s, and began to knit herself. Demand grew – first amongst friends, and now internationally. And Leyla did not disappoint. The knitted arm warmers were followed by scarves, inspired by Iranian culture, which are highly sought after even today. Collection after collection followed – lala Berlin has long established itself in the fashion world. But success is not enough for Leyla Piedayesh who, as previously mentioned, is no fairy tale princess. This is why she is currently donating a part of the profits of her label to the “Be an Angel” refugee organisation, constantly tying her work with social issues.

Mattel has even created a Barbie in her honour. Since 2015, the American toy company has been honouring particularly successful women – from athlete to scientist, it does not matter – with their “Shero” line. Leyla is currently the only German person in the line-up. This is a well-earned achievement, as Leyla does also care about future generations. Working in conjunction with the Porsche Talent Project, a jury selected 30 young talents, who were tasked with reinventing the famous triangular scarf by lala Berlin. “One of them used it to make a dirndl,” said Leyla – and I think to myself, that this is exactly how integration should work.

On the road in a pitch black Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid

I would have loved to have someone like Leyla as a role model when I was a child. I would also have definitely enjoyed the idea of getting into a pitch black Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, instead of a white wedding carriage. The car suits Leyla, and it naturally had to be a hybrid – her political activism doesn’t stop at the writing desk. Leyla and environmentally friendly driving – the future belongs to them both, and they look good together. In electric mode, the Panamera travels in complete silence through a loud Berlin that is intoxicated by summer. Occasionally Leyla points to something.


Ronja von Rönne, Leyla Piedayesh, l-r, Berlin, 2018, Porsche AG

Ronja von Rönne and Leyla Piedayesh

“There,” she says, “the Mauerpark.” That was where it all began, with the aforementioned arm warmers that she came across there on a Sunday completely by chance at the flea market many years back. We drive towards Mitte from Prenzlauer Berg, exchanging flea market chic for high-end fashion. Here, at Alte Schönhauser Straße 3, is where the lala Berlin flagship store is located. Everything that began as an idea in Leyla’s head and then developed into an item on the rack can be found here. “I Am Tourist” is emblazoned on a shirt, and Leyla laughs: “It’s true, though. We’re always tourists in some way.”

Adventurous and amazing: the story of lala Berlin

I continue to rummage through dresses, colourful prints, more subdued designs, and to my despair, want to own absolutely everything. Prenzlauer Berg is separated from the store by just a few kilometres. But these few kilometres are enough to accommodate the adventurous and amazing story of lala Berlin.

“You’ve got some amazing things there,” I say to Leyla on the drive back. She smiles, knowingly. That self-assurance. Mattel was right: Leyla Piedayesh is a role model, even if she probably finds this label just as silly as being a helpless fairy tale princess.

Text first published in the Porsche customer magazine Christophorus, No. 387

Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid: Fuel consumption combined 3.3 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 74 g/km; electricity consumption (combined) 16,0 kWh/100 km