During his visit to Cuba in 2012, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad noted that the capitalist system was in decay.
"On various stages it has come to a dead end -- politically, economically and culturally," he said.
Yet with the United States easing trade sanctions with Iran, it appears the opposite is true. In the face of government censorship, spotty Internet connection and vastly overpriced imports, Iranians are investing in smartphones, electronics and TVs at an ever-increasing pace.
Photographer Thomas Cristofoletti captured the growing consumer culture of Iran.
"Shopping has become a near obsessive ritual for young people, and especially women, who have now turned to buying beauty products and high-end western brands to fill in the void of entertainment options and to 'rebel' against the array of restrictions they are subjected to," Cristofoletti said, describing a country faced with the traditional option of shopping at bazaars or at new malls in major cities, which offer access to large western-style supermarkets, the latest electronic toys and arcade games.
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