Behnaz Sarafpour is an Iranian-born designer of understated, chic womenswear.

Born in Tehran, Sarafpour left the Middle East with her parents when she was 13, first moving to England before settling in Philadelphia. After studying at Parsons, Sarafpour spent time working for Richard Perry, then Isaac Mizrahi, whom she's described as her mentor. She worked for Mizrahi until his company crumbled in 1998, after which she signed on to design clothing for Barneys' private label. Her work at Barneys earned her solid reviews from the fashion press and the enthusiastic support of fashion bigwigs like Vogue's Anna Wintour and the overwhelmingly positive buzz enabled her to go out on her own in 2001 with a line of feminine, sophisticated frocks. She's since established herself as a member of the industry's new generation of stars.

Sarafpour has branched out in the last year or two. In addition to her pricey label, she followed Isaac Mizrahi and launched a line for Target in 2006, producing a series of reasonably priced dresses and separates with clean lines and crisp black-and-white accents. She's also unveiled a limited-edition lipstick for Lancôme, and a line of jeans for Scott Morrison's Ernest Sewn collection.

Sarafpour married tech consultant Evan Shumeyko in Bermuda in July 2007. [Image via Getty]