COMING UP ROSES

JASMIN LARIAN HEKMAT, founder of Los Angeles-based fashion and lifestyle brand Cult Gaia, shares how celebrating the many sides of women and embracing creative oppositions have shaped her approach to fashion.

- Words: ALIX LEFEBVRE

There is no coming-of-age moment that protects you from the pre-summer ritual of finding the perfect outfit for a destination wedding.

Every year, like clockwork, I'm back in the Pinterest trenches, hunting for a dress that says “resort wear” at a glance but still espouses my distinctive femininity rather than just morphing into a plus-one army. If I ever thought the thrill peaked with a save-the-date to some far-flung paradise, I'd clearly forgotten the high-stakes suitcase edit and the inevitable hair-pulling over what makes it into the IG grid.

Between the scrolling, store-hopping, and late-night group chats about what to wear, I've probably logged enough hours in the game to qualify for tenure.