on the role of fashion in diplomacy, embracing curly hair, and navigating multiple identities
meet marianna stepanian
meet marianna stepanian
You might have a hard time finding Human Rights Policy Analyst Marianna — she spends her days running all around Paris, sometimes for meetings, sometimes because she feels like grabbing coffee in the 6th Arrondissement and then going to a café in the 18th. When she wants to slow down, you might find her in Belleville, the place that most reminds her of where she grew up, almost like a little village in the big city. We caught up with Marianna to talk about immigrating from Georgia to the Netherlands as a child, expanding her French vocabulary through 90s rap, and the role of fashion in diplomacy.
“I grew up in a very conservative, white, homogeneous community. A lot of girls had straight blonde hair. To fit in and look more European, I used to straighten my hair almost daily. My mom would tell me “You’re going to lose your hair, you have to stop doing that,” and she hid the straightener. So, then you know what I straightened my hair with? An iron. And then before I came home from school, I would put water in my hair to bring back the curls or I would just put it in a bun so my mom would not get mad at me. Thankfully, I have since embraced my hair and how I look.”
discover our partners
passerby club partner-level subscribers receive exclusive discounts from over 20 partners
Masha Tea, founded by a naturopathic doctor and Vogue contributor, creates beautiful, thoughtfully sourced teas. We love a cup of their ceremonial-grade matcha in the morning and a mug of their calm blend at night. Partner-level subscribers get 10% off.
discover more interviews
support passerby magazine
Whether you have been part of our community for years or just joined us, we are forever grateful for your time, but have reached a point where passerby is just not sustainable without support. We are determined to keep going, but we need your help. passerby is a DIY operation run by a small team that is passionate about pushing back against traditional narratives, free from commercial pressure. Your support enables us to pay writers, editors, translators, photographers, and more.
Support us by becoming a member of the passerby club. You’ll gain access to exclusive content, discounts, invite-only events, and our discord — a community of like-minded readers ready to recommend a hotel in Marseille and a restaurant in Buenos Aires, help you pick a wedding dress, debate the new Sheila Heti, or find an apartment.
You can also make a one-time contribution to help us on our mission to spotlight stories not typically told.
So thrilled to see Marianna on here, she is one of the warmest and most generous women I know in Paris.