"I was Westernized, but I was never comfortable - it did not feel right," she said. "Most designers constantly say how they want to make women look sexy. I don't want women to be viewed as objects."
While adhering to the religious guidelines, her clothes differ from those shown at several government-endorsed fashion shows staged recently to encourage women to wear black head-to-toe chadors or dark, shapeless coats.
"If you are in love with color and textile, you fall in love with these Indian fabrics and get inspired to do something with them," she said. "The colors in the clothes remind me of the colors onstage."
Ghodstinat's clothing line is called Tradition, because, she said, she copies classical Middle Eastern and South Asian designs and updates them. Her Afghan-style skirts are ankle-length, unlike the traditional Afghan skirts that sweep the floor. And her Kurdish-style dresses have long sleeves that can be wrapped around the waist like a belt.
Her popular coats, based on the coats men wore in Iran during the Qajar period 100 years ago, have bell-shaped sleeves, are pinned at the waist and come in short lengths to wear over a longer skirt, or in longer lengths.
Her unusual color combinations, like bright green with brown, or pink and a touch of silver, have attracted women who are tired of wearing the traditional dark, restrained palette.
"These clothes give a kind of body language which is very dignified," she said.
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