Soraya Bakhtiar, Fashion influencer and entrepreneur, LGB 2008

Soraya Bakhtiar

La Grande Boissière, 2008

Fashion influencer and entrepreneur

Switzerland, Saudi Arabia

Learn more about me:

• Instagram @sorayabakhtiar
• azaleo.co

I’ve had approximately nine lives since I graduated from La Grande Boissière in 2008. I did my bachelor, a master's in London, interned in different places, travelled the world, moved to different cities and countries, and started my own businesses. Today, I live between Geneva and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. My numerous work experiences led me to start my own blog which turned into now my main activity. I’m a fashion influencer, but also an entrepreneur. I collaborate with brands and also create special and unique pieces with them. Two years ago in the middle of a pandemic, I launched a fragrance line called AZALEO, it’s a side business, and we are sold in over 20 retailers around Europe and the Middle East. It’s been a challenging journey but a beautiful one. I also recently became a mom, and I don’t want to neglect that as I work from home mostly and I’m able to spend quality time with my little one. 

My favourite memory from Ecolint are the Kermesses, the smell of the hallways, collecting chestnuts at Les Marronniers, the end of the year school show. But most importantly the incredible community of teachers, and staff and the friendships I made along the way that I will cherish forever. 

Ecolint helped me to be confident, to be a happy person and manage my stress. 

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?  I often ask myself this, but perhaps I would have swapped a few topics or higher levels in some subjects. Looking back, I would have loved to study history instead of geography for example. Or kept Italian for the IB as I work with Italian brands and go to Italy a lot. 

My words of wisdom for Ecolint students: one door opens another. When you’re in school, you think that one decision (such as where you are going to college) will impact the rest of your life. To some extent it does, but I like to believe that it’s really what you make out of it. In my case, I had good grades but I wasn’t on top of my class and I didn’t go to an Ivy League university after LGB and yet my career kicked off quicker than most of my friends who did. Maybe I shouldn’t say this but school is important it gives you the tools you need to open doors but you have to be street smart too to know which key opens which door. Find something you are good at, and make it your job. If you don’t know what you’re good at, try different things (short courses, internships etc). You will find your way, or it will find you.

What legacy do you want to leave? Whenever I think of that, I want to be remembered for being a good person. Not for the things I accomplished, even though I’m proud of them. I want to be remembered for being real and showing things how they are. 

What exciting project do you have coming up? New products for Azaleo and new fashion collaborations. But I’m also looking into developing something new concept in the Middle East since I spend so much time there now. I have some ideas but still need a bit of work and brainstorming.