The Tamesis
Each season, designer Jasmin Larian Hekmat seeks creative inspiration in various far-flung destinations and the natural beauty they see. (It’s a smart move, since many of her customers also wear her pieces on vacation—call it wanderlust dressing.) For Pre-Fall, though, it’s 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 goes back to the poetry of nature and the tactile beauty of the things she could find,” Hekmat said.
Earthy elements are present throughout. For example, the light blue Mellie dress has an open back and is studded with raindrop-shaped beads. A voluminous, tiered silk organza gown featured a print reminiscent of flowers or fallen leaves. Accessories feature the same details. Brass clutches were made into fig shapes, or ivory-shaped vases filled with flowers. They’re exactly the kind of whimsical productions that actors can see white lotus Dress up at a luxury Four Seasons resort where the nightly cost is more than your rent.
But Hekmat also offers tougher, edgier pieces—it’s not all beachy and effortless. “I really wanted the series to be based on duality – this woman who is both fierce and feminine,” she said. Her long-sleeved black Armand gown featured a backless design and was lined with gold chains. She also dabbled in swimwear and a wild cheetah-print silk twill cover-up.
Here, experimenting with single products gives people a sense of freshness. Hekmat has long been committed to simple, statement-making dresses, but her take on a white cotton top with lace trim or denim mini shorts with built-in gold chains and eyelets shows that her Cult Gaia universe is expanding. Now, one can travel in her designs, from sunrise swimming to sunset salsa clubbing.
