The latest Cult Gaia collection turns loss into something unexpectedly beautiful.

There was something deeply emotional about Cult Gaia’s latest runway show.

Presented during New York Fashion Week on September 9, Spring/Summer 2027 was titled “Behesht,” the Persian word for heaven — an especially poignant name for a collection born from designer Jasmin Larian Hekmat’s experience of losing her grandmother, Mommy Aghdas, earlier this year.

But this wasn't a collection about mourning in the traditional sense.

Instead, Hekmat explored the strange duality of grief: how sadness and celebration can exist simultaneously, and how beauty can emerge from something painful.

And somehow, that emotional contradiction translated beautifully onto the runway.

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

The collection began in a more introspective, almost melancholic place before gradually becoming lighter and more joyful.

That progression was intentional.

Hekmat described the collection as a cinematic journey — one that moves from darkness towards light, mirroring the emotional process of grief itself.

The result was a collection that felt distinctly Cult Gaia, but with a deeper emotional weight behind the glamour.

There was romance.

There was drama.

There was movement.

And, most importantly, there was a sense of transformation.

THE CULT GAIA WOMAN GETS A LITTLE MORE DRAMATIC

Cult Gaia has always been known for its sculptural silhouettes, vacation-ready glamour and pieces that demand attention.

Behesht takes that DNA and pushes it further.

Expect fluid silhouettes, dramatic shapes, intricate embellishment and plenty of movement, with the collection shifting between darker, moodier looks and more ethereal, uplifting pieces.

It's the kind of clothing that doesn't simply sit on the body.

It moves.

It catches the light.

It creates a moment.

And that theatrical quality is exactly what makes Cult Gaia so recognisable.

THE DETAILS ARE EVERYTHING

If there's one thing Cult Gaia understands, it's the power of a detail.

Across Behesht, texture and embellishment play an important role in creating that sense of fantasy.

The collection feels almost dreamlike — appropriate for a collection whose name translates to heaven — while still retaining the sensuality and confidence that has become synonymous with the brand.

It's glamorous without feeling overly serious.

Romantic without becoming overly delicate.

And dramatic without losing its wearability.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE ACCESSORIES

For us, this is where things get particularly interesting.

Cult Gaia has built a cult following around its accessories, particularly its sculptural handbags and statement pieces.

And the Behesht collection continues to treat accessories as objects of desire rather than simply something you carry.

The bags feel like an extension of the clothing: sculptural, playful and designed to be noticed.

That approach has always been part of Cult Gaia's appeal — the ability to take something as functional as a handbag and turn it into a conversation piece.

THE POWER OF CONTRAST

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Behesht is duality.

Dark versus light.

Grief versus celebration.

Softness versus strength.

Minimalism versus extravagance.

It's a theme Hekmat has been exploring across recent collections, but here it feels particularly personal.

Her Fall 2026 collection, “Shirzan,” meaning “lioness” in Farsi, was also deeply connected to her Persian heritage and the powerful women in her family.

With Behesht, that personal storytelling evolves into something more emotional — a reflection on what remains beautiful even after loss.

WHY WE'RE WATCHING CULT GAIA

Cult Gaia has never really been about blending into the background.

And that's exactly why the brand feels so relevant right now.

In a fashion landscape where personal style is becoming increasingly important, Cult Gaia offers something different: pieces that create a mood.

You don't wear Cult Gaia simply to complete an outfit.

You wear it because you want the outfit to be remembered.

Behesht feels like another step in that direction — but with more emotion, more storytelling and a noticeably more mature point of view.

And if the collection is any indication of where Cult Gaia is heading next, we're very much paying attention.

FROM THE RUNWAY TO YOUR WISHLIST

Some runway collections give us trends.

Others give us pieces we immediately want.

Behesht gives us both.

And we're already thinking about which Cult Gaia pieces are going to make their way from the runway into wardrobes next season.

Because if there's one thing Cult Gaia has taught us, it's that fashion should never be forgettable.