Jasmin Larian Hekmat believes in magic. Specifically, the Cult Gaia founder has been leaning into the “vortex of manifestation.” But what does that mean exactly? “If you're aligned, you're in your vortex of manifestation, and everything will fall into place," she says.
Twelve years since Jasmin launched the fashion label synonymous with sun-drenched resortwear, goddess dresses and bags so beautiful they deserve prized real estate on your coffee table, it certainly feels like everything is falling into place at Cult Gaia. The fashion line has grown to encompass cosy knitwear, shoes and jewellery and its own line of fragrance, which launched last year. No small feat considering the state of the fashion industry when even seemingly profitable labels are shuttering every day.
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Over the course of our trans-continental video chat, Jasmin shares her secret to Cult Gaia's enduring appeal and ability to maintain momentum in fashion's mercurial landscape. Drive, perfectionism, intuition were all integral ingredients to the recipe, but also, a dash of magic.
Born and raised in Los Angeles to a father who founded the company behind Bratz dolls and a mother who is a sculptural artist, it was no surprise that Jasmin was drawn to design at an early age. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she began creating a line of flower crowns in 2012 before designing her first handbag—the Ark Bag. The fan-shaped, rattan clutch is still perhaps what the brand is still associated with today, so one might be surprised to hear that Jasmin had such a hard time selling her bags at first, she was giving them away for free (I know, I gasped too).
Then, like magic, the bag became a sudden hit at a small South Korean retailer. “I remember waking up in the middle of the night and seeing so many orders, and I was sold out of this bag that I couldn't sell before. Now they were flying," Jasmin recalls.
Cult Gaia's overnight success continued to snowball, with celebrities clamouring to wear the label. Beyoncé wore a Cult Gaia dress with the Ark bag, Hailey Bieber wore the Sarita dress on vacation… the list goes on. But Cult Gaia's runaway popularity also garnered plenty of unwanted attention, and very soon the Ark Bag was being knocked off faster than you could say “dupe.”
Every budding designer's nightmare, I asked how Jasmin reacted to the phenomenon, to which the founder gamely shrugged it off as a learning experience. “I think it's good that it happened earlier in my career,” she says. Her first advice to young designers potentially facing the same? “I've learned to patent and trademark things earlier on, even if you don't always know if something's going to hit you a hit, but I think after a few years, you kind of know you have a gut feeling.” And secondly, and most importantly, never stop creating. By the time they've knocked off your previous design, says Jasmin, you'll be onto your next. “That's why the brand is where it is. I'm so paranoid; I'm running to my next design, running, running, running. I'm constantly iterating and evolving.”
Their latest viral hit this season is another sculptural accessory, the Cassidy Sandal, a pretty heel inspired by the time Jasmin took a calla lily and wrapped the flower around her foot, proclaiming it the next Cult Gaia shoe. Sometimes tongue-in-cheek, but always beautifully designed, Jasmin's creations often come from unlikely sources—a mid-century porcelain vase or glass grapes (yes, glass grapes) were turned into bags. “Everyone's like, you're crazy. A bag should fit a phone, or have a strap, and I'm like, no, no, no," she says. Having come up during the reign of social media, Jasmin has learned to embrace its power, counting on her creations' ability to become conversation starters. “This is what makes Cult Gaia great; we create products that spark conversation, which comes down to instinct and trust,” she says. “I think people want something to talk about. It creates currency because you can create content with it.”
The brands that have made a mark in our cultural zeitgeist all understand the value of world-building. It would not be a stretch to put Cult Gaia on the same plane as Jacquemus or Coperni, brands that have built convincing macrocosms around their designs that make them more than a rail of clothes. When asked who she most wants to emulate, Jasmin immediately names Ralph Lauren, whose CEO has once likened the company more to Disney than any other fashion label for its ability to create a coherent universe around its diverse offering.
Which is perhaps why when Jasmin announced a Cult Gaia fragrance line last year, rather than merely creating another commercial touchpoint, the beautifully bottled perfumes felt like a natural extension to the label. “I learned so much with my fragrance; a lot of people around you try to rush you into making decisions that ultimately don't make the best product, but I learned a lot about the value of detail through Bratz,” she says. “[At the doll company] you're working on such a small scale and kids see everything. They notice the nail polish, they notice the little necklace, so it has really taught me the value of attention to detail, and the importance of packaging. A product to me is more than just the product, it's how it's received as part of the experience, which can be equally if not more important than what's inside.”
A homecoming of sorts, the arch-shaped, marble-topped perfume marks Jasmin's first foray outside of fashion, and she was uncompromising on the details, from including a gold rim, to insisting on the logo being on the metal and not brushed or stamped. It was a steep learning curve, to say the least, but certainly not more so than motherhood.
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In case running a growing fashion empire, launching a sold-out partnership with GAP and opening a brick-and-mortar store in Las Vegas aren't enough in one year, Jasmin is also the proud mum of a three-month-old boy. Her latest, and most important role to date is also the reason behind some of the more practical silhouettes we're seeing in her upcoming collections. “I'm way more practical now," she says. "Pieces are a little more oversized in coming seasons because I can't wear everything anymore. They're a little more practical, less fussy—still artful—but much more functional and wearable." Sprinkled between goddess gowns in sunset hues are denim sets and jorts that one could easily wear on a school or grocery run.
“I think in some ways I've outgrown myself," she says. "The beauty of this brand is that it kind of follows me, and our core identity will always be about elevating the goddess, but we're always evolving.”
