It’s surprising that Cult Gaia has never shown during New York fashion week, given just how far designer Jasmin Larian Hekmat has scaled her brand in the past 14 years. But today marked her first time being on the official CFDA calendar, and she now plans to make it a more routine occurrence. Of course, doing a proper show came with some added pressure for the designer: mainly, she knew she had to find new ways to elevate and innovate her signature vacation-ready pieces. “I don’t need to do shows—managing the business with three kids is crazy enough—but doing it makes the collection so much better,” she said backstage.
While the stakes were high for her first New York runway, the collection theme was decidedly more intimate and personal: Hekmat found inspiration in the strong women within her own Persian community. ”It really honors my heritage, and the women who came before me,” she said. “I really learned about beauty through the women around me, and that beauty is power. That embodies the Cult Gaia woman: She is fearless and powerful.” To match the sentiment, the show opened with a recording of Hekmat’s grandmother, singing a song by the Iranian singer Marzieh. (The collection, titled Shirzan, is the Farsi word for “lioness”).
The fall lineup aimed to offer that sense of strength by balancing sharp, architectural shapes against softer, more free-spirited pieces. A prime example was the boxy chocolate-brown leather jacket, paired with a beaded, golden and burgundy mini skirt. Or the sleek buttoned-up shirt with puff sleeves, worn with a chain-mailed maxi skirt made up of large teal patina’d tiles. “We painted copper to look like turquoise,” said Hekmat. Nothing felt too severe, or too whimsical and easy-breezy.
As a designer who thrives in resort and summer dressing, it was most interesting to see Hekmat’s foray into heftier fall pieces. She made wardrobe classics like a wool topcoat feel more special to her by updating it in an avocado green. One wonders if her boxy black leather jackets or plushy faux fur coats are needed in an already-saturated market, but they expanded her world nonetheless, giving her customer something to wear when they aren’t busy frolicking on a beach.
This season, Hekmat introduced menswear for the first time, a category she has dabbled in but never really fully committed to until now. The looks worked best when leaning into the non-traditional—things you can’t find from any other brand. Her boxy double-breasted, wool-twill suits with three-dimensional floral appliqués felt fresh, as did the olive plissé pajama set. The more simple tailoring offerings still had a bit of cheekiness, adorned with calla lily brooches.
The collection ended with an explosion of dramatic dresses and gowns—not a total shocker, given dresses make up a huge portion of Hekmat’s business. Her more formal proposals included a strapless brocade gown with a sweeping train. “It really hits the light,” she said. Disjointed from the whole collection, though, was a white bridal gown—all ruched and manipulated into a futuristic-looking hourglass shape, complete with the veil. Did it make sense with all the other pieces? Not quite, but for Hekmat, it was just about adding some fun to the show. “Fashion should always be interrupted with a little bit of wit and playfulness,” she said. “When someone sees you in something, they should giggle and delight.”
