Jasmin Larian Hekmat's Cult Gaia collection, Behesht, moved from olive green and black into chainmail, florals and petals falling from the ceiling. Here is the show by the numbers and in my words.
Cult Gaia Spring 2027: Grief and Celebration at Once
Grief and celebration at once
Jasmin Larian Hekmat lost her grandmother, Mommy Aghdas, earlier this year, and the collection is about what grief does to you. "It's bizarre how transformative grief can be," she said. "You can experience grief, but also a simultaneous sense of celebration." She called the collection Behesht, the Persian word for heaven, and it moves from dark and moody to light and upbeat over the course of the show.
This was only her second time showing at New York Fashion Week, and I think the theatrical structure works for her. It gives a brand known for easy vacation clothes a story with real feeling behind it.
Olive, first
The opening is the most serious Cult Gaia I have seen. The first look is a deep olive green suit with a puffed shoulder and capri pants, followed by a dress in the same shade, made in a woven plissé with a swishy hem. Green turns out to be the main color of the show, with more than a quarter of the looks built around it.
I like that she chose olive rather than black for the grief part, because it feels alive. A few all-black looks are there too, including a black linen suit from the growing menswear line that is boxy and slouchy in all the right places. She said of menswear, "it's nice to have a new muse."
When it gets light
The show really lifts when it gets playful. There are tweed board shorts with fringed hems for men, and a plum plissé button-up with a built-in necktie. For women, a golden chainmail skirt that clinks down the runway, and a sheer, chiffony floral two-piece that anyone could pack for a beach trip.
The golden gladiator sandals with it are more divisive, and I am honestly still deciding. Hats show up on a handful of looks, and so do sunglasses and woven textures, which keeps the resort spirit of the brand without making it the whole point.
Petals from the ceiling
The finale is a series of hand-painted silk gowns, dip-dyed to look as though they are made of feathers, and as they came out real pink flower petals fell from the ceiling onto the audience. Even the most tired editors smiled.
I think that moment is the whole collection in one image: sadness and joy in the same room. If I were shopping it, I would start with the green pieces and one thing in chainmail, and keep the gladiators for someone braver. It is the most personal show she has made, and it is better for it.
