From nightclubs and dental surgeries in Norway to fashion design and interior architecture in Australia, entrepreneur Stella Taleb has embraced opportunity with fearless determination. Now at the helm of a luxury fashion brand and boutique interior architecture firm in Sydney, Stella’s path has been anything but conventional. Despite multiple setbacks that saw her lose everything, her unwavering passion and drive have propelled her forward.
Speaking from her architect and design studio in Alexandria, Stella reflects on how her love for design was rooted in both nature and nurture. “Growing up in Norway, my grandfather was a developer, and my two uncles were architects, so my passion for interior architecture and design was shaped quite early on,” she says. She vividly remembers spending hours as a curious six-year-old in her uncle’s office, enchanted by the tilted desks, architectural drawing kits, sketches and floor plans. A visit during childhood to the private residence of Shams Pahlavi, the sister of the last Shah of Iran, left a strong impression.
“To some extent, I knew back then that I love design – it’s so expressive,” she says. “I’ve been very passionate about it for a long time”
Though she was drawn to the creative world, her family had more traditional expectations. “I’m a creative person and couldn’t express myself in this degree. I’m also the sort of person who won’t stick with something if I know it’s not right for me. So, I switched to an interior architecture degree,” she says. That shift was the start of a journey marked by both resilience and reinvention.
Even in her early twenties, Stella’s entrepreneurial instincts were sharp. “My mother was an entrepreneur, so I have that in me,” she notes. At just 21, she was running a nightclub in Norway and soon after leveraged her studies in dentistry to set up a dental surgery business. But once she completed her interior architecture degree in 2003, Stella merged her business drive with creative flair by launching her first design studio in Oslo and releasing her own collection of luxury handbags.
Personal upheaval led her to start from scratch in Australia, arriving with just $5,000. Determined not to give up, she worked as a translator to save capital and launched her fashion label, Stella Taleb. “It was picking up, but I wanted to make the brand bigger,” she says. An opportunity arose to expand her brand into Iran by starting her own factory.
“I started custom designing for celebrities, and my brand was being recognised”
Then, in 2017, everything changed. With sanctions imposed on Iran, Stella was forced to close the factory. “If I stayed in Iran, I couldn’t work with the rest of the world, and it wasn’t safe – I was scared. I had to close the factory – I lost all my money and years of my life.”
Back in Australia once again in 2018, Stella found herself rebuilding from nothing. “I had my collection, but I didn’t have any money to go into production,” she says. Instead of pausing, she pivoted.
“So, I set up the interior architecture business Stella Taleb Design. Being service based, there were no production costs. We did contract work from 2018 until 2022 until we could set up the showroom”
Her journey has been defined by growth through adversity. “When you lose in business, you learn from that and become stronger. It’s never wasted – there are always lessons learned. I think passion has kept me going through it all, and I just keep the faith, am positive, and do not give up.”
In 2022, she opened her long-awaited showroom. Stella Taleb Design has since expanded to include soft furnishings and homewares, and led to the launch of a separate property design and development firm, Portico & Co. Today, she works on large residential homes, offering end-to-end project management—from planning to handover. She draws inspiration from each site and her clients. “When you’re designing a home for a client, you really are designing to their tastes,” she says. “It’s very personal.” Her background gives her a unique approach. “I have a Norwegian mindset and deep cultural Persian roots. I’ve got that being born in the 70s, exposed and influenced by mid-century architectural style.”
Looking ahead, Stella hopes to explore larger development projects and expand her homewares range. Her ultimate vision?
“My five-year plan is to set up on the French Riviera and renovate and flip properties. But more than that, hopefully, I learn and grow and continue to enjoy this rollercoaster ride of life and entrepreneurship”
Through it all, her mission is to inspire others who may be struggling. “My businesses have failed, but I’ve picked it up again. I’m proud of my mindset – for not giving up. It’s something many businesspeople and entrepreneurs have to go through. And I want other people to know they are not alone.”
You can follow Stella Taleb’s journey on Instagram: @stellataleb
