Every season, Cult Gaia designer Jasmin Larian Hekmat transports her customers—through clothes—to various far-flung vacation destinations. Her feminine, easy-breezy pieces are built with beachy getaways in mind—but this time around, Hekmat wanted to evoke a different mood with her upbeat assortment. “I kept coming back to the word charming,” she said. “For me, the word charming meant that everything has a touch of sweetness.”
While one could argue that Cult Gaia always leans a tad sugary, for Hekmat, that new direction meant infusing her signature dresses with a fun, quirky sense of whimsy. “They’re all a little distorted—they’re not so perfect,” she noted. Take her interpretation of the enduring polka-dot trend: Hekmat designed a high-neckline dress with a stomach cutout and knotting details, all ruched with an all-over pleated effect. The frock felt elevated, a more design-forward take on a classic pattern that simply won’t go away.
There were other clear attempts at taking summery essentials and leveling them up, too. Her linen lace dresses, for one, were one-shouldered and loosely-crocheted in some areas as if ripped or distressed. “I was thinking about how you make prim more feminine and cool,” she said. A yellow mini tank dress also featured three-dimensional floral appliqués, as well as a slightly sheer construction. (No, the naked dress phenomenon is not going anywhere anytime soon.)
In recent seasons, Hekmat has been attempting to increase the number of casual daywear pieces in her lineups, and she continued that for resort, as well. Leather zip-up coats and cargo pants were meant to offer a twist on everyday basics. “We’re easing our way into casual wear, but with our beautiful details,” she said. It’s debatable such an expansion is necessary—do we really need more utilitarian staples in the world? That said, charm and whimsy did shine through in her statement accessories, which are always a highlight. Calla lily heels and rock-covered purses exemplified the brand’s playfulness.