Every season, designer Jasmin Larian Hekmat finds creative inspiration in various far-flung destinations, and the natural beauty they behold. (It’s a smart move, given that many of her customers also don her pieces on vacation—call it wanderlust dressing.) For pre-fall, though, it was less about designing a love letter to a specific setting, and more about finding ways to incorporate nature-inspired elements into her signature dresses and bags. “Everything in the collection traces back to this poetry of nature, and the tactile beauty of things she can find,” said Hekmat.
Earthy elements were present throughout. The light-blue Mellie dress, for one, featured an open back and was covered in raindrop-shaped beads. A sweeping layered silk-organza gown had prints reminiscent of florals or falling leaves. Accessories featured those same details. A brass clutch was shaped into a fig, or an ivory-shaped vase holding flowers. They’re precisely the whimsical kind of pieces one could see a cast member of The White Lotus wearing at a lavish Four Seasons resort where a nightly rate costs more than your rent.
But Hekmat also introduced tougher, edgier pieces—it wasn’t all beachy and breezy. “I really wanted this collection to be based on duality—this woman who’s fierce but feminine at the same time,” she said. Her long-sleeved black Armand gown featured an open back lined with golden chains. She also ventured into swimwear and silk-twill cover-ups done in wild cheetah patterns.
It was the foray into separates that felt fresh here. Hekmat has long doubled-down on her easy statement dresses, but her take on white cotton tops, done with lace trimming, or denim mini shorts—with a built-in golden chain and eyelets—showed that her Cult Gaia universe is expanding. One could now go on a trip and wear her designs from a sunrise swim to a sunset salsa club.
