cult gaia

mornin' merry makers ☀️🏛️🎨✨🛍️

what happens when the woman who helped her father design bratz dolls applies that same "art first" philosophy to handbags?

you get cult gaia.

the founder, jasmin larian hekmat, legitmately grew up naming dolls and designing their outfits for her father’s company, mga entertainment. one of the bratz dolls was even named yasmin after her.

those iconic oversized heads and sculptural proportions taught jasmin early that objects could be both functional and fantastical. while still “working” at mga, jasmin launched cult gaia in 2012, applying the same philosophy to accessories.

her handbags aren't just bags, they're "objets d'art" sculptural pieces that look like they belong in moma.

now she's built an empire turning functional items into collectible art.

this is retail rebellion at its finest. scroll for our fourth feature in my 100 stores of summer series full of stores and stories that feel like a vacation.

stories i'm watching

the larian legacy: jasmin’s dad is isaac larian, the toy titan behind bratz, LOL Surprise, rainbow high, and little tikes. so basically the larian fam builds billion-dollar brands like it’s playtime.

name game: “cult gaia” = earth goddess meets brand obsession. “gaia” honors nature. “cult” is the loyal community. together, we’ve got a retail religion in the making.

flower crown era: started in 2012 with handmade flower crowns at FIT. fast-forward today she’s gone from boho blooms to museum-worthy bags at altar-like stores.

the ark moment: launched in 2014, went viral in 2016, and still reigns today ($398–498). this bamboo beauty basically invented the sculptural bag category.

bratz x gaia: in 2022, jasmin dressed yasmin & cloe dolls in mini gaia looks to celebrate bratz’s 21st. think dolls, collabs, and celebs at goldstein house in la.

gap glow-up: their oct ’24 collab became gap’s fastest seller ever. 35 pieces, $35–498, and tiktok couldn’t get enough. sold out in 24 hrs. curious to see if they do more of this

scroll stopping socials & stuff

their social strategy centers on presenting products as wearable sculptures, building a cult following that treats every drop like an art exhibition. 1.9M instagram followers.

notable campaigns that broke the internet:

• gap collaboration for today’s modern goddess featuring french model tina kunakey

• megan moroney channeling kate hudson's "how to lose a guy in 10 days" moment at the 2025 acm awards in cult gaia

• kelly rowland elevating casual dressing in cult gaia at their spring 2025 dinner

• the raxxy collaboration with patented 5d down technology jackets

notable products that broke the internet:

• the hera bag (rhinestones galore in knotted handle heaven)

• the serita dress (aka the 2020 midriff moment)

• the hansal & renata gowns (giving bridal moments)

• the sirena seashell clutch (acrylic art)

• the cassidy sandal (inspired by a calla lily)

• the florence vase clutch (that doesn’t fit an iphone)

retail rollout

cult gaia has executed an aggressive expansion, opening 6 flagship stores in just 18 months. each location functions as "retail theater" with temple-like environments:

1. melrose flagship opened jan ‘23

2. new york soho opened feb ‘23

3. miami design district opened mar ‘24

4. aventura mall opened mar ‘25

5. east hampton every summer since ‘23

pop-ups

1. dallas inside market @ hp village opend mar ‘25

2. saint barts opened jan ‘24

3. saint tropez summer ‘23 (think they’re coming back or they need to update their website…)

4. mykonos summer ‘24 (think they’re coming back here too)

5. pacific palisades opened aug ‘24, closed in the fires

6. las vegas in encore esplande at the wynn, opened jun ‘24

their store design philosophy treats retail spaces like art installations. be sure to follow me on linkedin to get daily posts to go gaga over these cult gaia stores!

now hiring

if you want to join this artistic retail revolution, they're actively hiring across multiple fronts.

current hq openings:

• director of design for accessories & handbags (reports directly to ceo)

• controller (reports to cfo)

• senior manager of brand marketing & pr

• data analyst

• wholesale planner

• fabric r&d assistant

current retail openings:

• sales associate @ miami

• sales associate @ las vegas

• sales associate @ east hampton

• stockroom associate @ east hampton

what's next?

cult gaia is positioning itself as the contemporary luxury brand that treats fashion as art. with gap collaboration success, fragrance expansion, and aggressive retail growth, they're building something that extends far beyond sculptural bags.

here are my predictions:

• more permanent retail locations in fashion hubs, like london and paris

• more experimental pop-ups beyond traditional boutiques but also in the prime yatching locations for summers (think jacquemus a la ibiza, capri, and monaco)

• expansion into home décor category leveraging their sculptural design dna and existing home accessories.

• another mass market collaborations following the gap success. i wouldn’t be surprised to see a target or anthro collab.

• art world partnerships with museums or galleries, making the "fashion as art" positioning literal through exhibitions and installations

• stay private forever - no fundraising to date and daddy's mga is private too, so why mess with a good thing?

what's wild is how jasmin has essentially designed for the same generation through every stage of our lives. she created our childhood dolls, our festival flower crowns, our statement bags for big career moments, our sculptural home décor, and now our fragrance bottles as we enter our sophisticated era. she's not just building a brand - she's curating the aesthetic evolution of an entire generation.

p.s. i used to think shopmy was just for fashion influencers.

it’s not.

if you create, share, or recommend literally anything, you could be making money. here’s my affiliate link to sign up for your shop & my shop if you wanna snoop.