Cult Gaia designer Jasmin Larian Hekmat may be a Leo, but judging by her new collection, you would think she’s a textbook Gemini. Her spring assortment zeroed in on the art of duality, aiming to juxtapose opposing aesthetics for a stylish end result. “I wanted to play on the contrast between two opposing forces,” she said. “We played between the hard and the soft, and the feminine and the savage.”
The starting point was her familiar vacation-ready dresses and slinky party gowns to examine such an inspiration this season. If the short, bodycon dresses leaned more pretty, they were finished in tougher materials, such as hand-braided jerseys or sunset-ombréd beads. There was a real focus on textures, and the unexpected material plays—like a draped corset top and mini skirt made of wooden beads, or a knit mini dress with a skirt made of fringed tassels—proved to be standouts. “It was all about making a party dress more exciting,” said Hekmat. “If it bores me, I’m just like, ‘What’s the point?’”
Though breezy dresses are her forte, Hekmat made efforts to branch out into a full assortment of separates. She showed white gauzy wrap-tied tops with jean shorts—jorts—with cargo pocketing. Or double-breasted blazers for night, done in original prints that looked Botticelli-inspired. She also did Cult Gaia’s version of coats, something “new and exciting for her,” like a simple khaki trench. They were easy and wearable though they lacked any wow factor to differentiate them in an already-crowded market.
Then there were the sculptural bags for which Cult Gaia has a loyal fan base. There were whimsical offerings like a gold apple-shaped clutch bag (cue the Charli XCX song), and more industrial styles, like a pink oval travertine clutch. The fringed basket beach bag with a leather top handle and a black leather wristlet pouch with a golden cuff closure felt more elevated. Are they timeless stealth-wealth investment pieces? Not quite, but that’s not the point: They were fun and fit for the moment.