Cult Gaia : Discovering the Artistic Charm
Recently, while searching for swimsuits, I stumbled upon the brand Cult Gaia. I might have seen it in a multi-brand store before. After browsing their website, I decided to write an article about them. Cult Gaia stands out with its distinctive, artistic, yet simple designs.
Cult Gaia is renowned for its unique artistry and exquisite designs, especially in shoes, bags, and jewelry, characterized by their sculptural forms and frequent use of gold and silver hues. The brand draws inspiration from the unique and irregular aesthetics of nature, emphasizing the uniqueness and artistic value of each piece.
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Jasmin Larian Hekmat founded Cult Gaia in Los Angeles in 2012, starting with handmade flower crowns and headbands.
In 2013, she designed the bamboo Ark bag. Initially, it didn’t gain much attention, but in 2016, after showcasing how to wear and use the Ark bag on Instagram, it became a fashion “IT” bag, promoted by celebrities and fashion influencers like Beyonce, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Chriselle Lim, and Danielle Bernstein. The brand quickly rose to fame, with the Ark bag becoming a signature piece and even an heirloom item.
Jasmin Larian Hekmat was born and raised in a creative family. Her mother was a fashion designer and sculptor, and her father founded the toy company MGA Entertainment, known for creating the Bratz dolls.
Growing up, Jasmin was heavily influenced by her family background. Her mother taught her how to sew on paper, sparking her interest in design. She often found various fabrics and decorations in the linen closet at home and used them to make clothes for herself. Her father, Isaac Larian, one of the creators of the Bratz dolls, exposed her to the doll-making process, laying the foundation for her future design career.
During her studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, Jasmin majored in fashion design and international marketing, interning at renowned brands like Narciso Rodriguez and Jason Wu. After graduating, she returned to Los Angeles to start her brand, Cult Gaia, named after “Cult” and “Gaia” (the Greek Earth goddess), reflecting the brand’s pursuit of natural beauty and art.
Larian Hekmat now spends most of her time in LA but travels to Paris and New York four times a year for fashion weeks and visits factories in Brazil and China.
Her overall dressing philosophy is easy, chic, and cool. She prepares outfits in advance, making dressing easier. When packing for trips, she ensures the clothes are pre-matched. This approach is also applied to the website design, explaining the annual launch of new product categories after the Ark bag’s success.
In 2017, Cult Gaia launched its ready-to-wear line. Jasmin, who had always made her clothes since childhood, wanted the photobook models for accessories to wear her brand’s clothes. No wonder my initial impression of the Swimwear & Beachwear: Minimalist and Luxurious & Ethnic Prints brand website was that all items worn by models had corresponding brand purchase links.
The four product links in the bottom left corner of the image below are items used in this model’s photobook.
In 2018, the brand introduced footwear, with the alia mule becoming very popular. Cult Gaia’s shoe heels often feature jewelry-like designs rather than traditional shapes.
The design of the shoe uppers also includes woven elements like the serita dress and the inlaid style of the hera bag and store decor.
The final row of shoe upper designs resembles their distinctive tops like the mala top, made from Plissé Lame fabric.
In 2019, they introduced swimwear.
In 2020, the serita dress became a hit, becoming the brand’s second best-seller, leading to the woven design being used in other bralettes, tops, and dresses. In 2021, they launched sunglasses.
In 2022, they introduced the inlaid hera bag.
To summarize her approach to driving the brand’s growth, Larian says, “just do it.” Don’t overthink, just take action.
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Starting with jewelry, the brand later incorporated metal and sculptural elements into their clothing and shoes. Even their bags feature jewelry-like inlays and shapes.
Compared to other luxury brands with steel and black elements, Cult Gaia’s store design is more natural and artistic, similar to by Malene Birger’s warm-toned design.
The store, like their accessories, features asymmetrical designs, irregular stones, inlaid sequins, and elements of Greek architecture.
The jewelry designs below share similarities with their shoes, bags, swimwear, and store decor: frequent use of gold and silver, irregular stones, and inlay designs.
Cult Gaia’s clothing primarily focuses on spring and summer collections, with limited fall and winter options.
Their distinctive designs often feature waist cut-outs like in the first row below. Jewelry elements are incorporated into clothing details, adding metal decorations to regular clothes.
Spaghetti strap tops are often crafted into various floral shapes.
Plissé Lame, a crinkled metallic foil fabric, is frequently used. The gold reflective vest below is hand-stitched with gradient-colored arc-shaped beads.
Overall, Cult Gaia’s artistic and design elements sometimes outweigh practicality. The clothes are mostly made of polyester and nylon, not ideal for everyday wear but perfect for fashion bloggers and celebrities who don’t lack clothing. The designs of clothes, bags, and jewelry are creative and attractive.
Their famous bags are increasingly artistic, sometimes appearing impractical. Thus, their photobooks often include a reference image of someone carrying the bag.
Currently, Cult Gaia has no direct stores in Asia, mainly in the U.S., often in summer vacation spots like Miami and Saint Tropez. In China, their products are available through retailers like Net-a-Porter and Lane Crawford, though the selection is limited.
With family resources, Cult Gaia has not sought external funding since its inception, relying on internal funds and revenues for growth and expansion.
