sculpture and tree pierce oculi of sugarhouse's miami fashion store

cult gaia’s flagship store in miami design district

Sugarhouse brings iconic historical archetypes from classical antiquity and Persian heritage to Miami’s vibrant Design District for Cult Gaia’s new flagship store. Conceived by Jess and Jonathon Nahon alongside brand founder Jasmin Larian Hekmat, the retail space is nestled within a distinct A-frame structure that takes its shape from local casitas, creating a sense of warmth and familiarity. Across the project, bespoke, artful details encapsulate Cult Gaia’s brand ethos and create a sense of fantasy and timelessness. A 1800-piece mural wraps the elevation, while within, a central dressing area made of one hundred individually chiseled sandstone blocks is brought to life in an ethereal glow.

The interior is divided into three primary sections, punctuated by two skylight domes in the primary rooms with each open to a seven foot wide frameless oculus, allowing natural light to flood the space. The domes and oculi, sheltering a twelve-foot concrete sculpture and a fourteen-foot Banyan tree, trace their lineage to the Pantheon, the Ancient Roman temple for all gods.

Sugarhouse commissioned a 1800-piece ceramic mural for the facade | all images by Kris Tamburello

sugarhouse weaves imagery of heritage and fantasy

Hand-painted in captivating hues of blue reminiscent of Persian mosques, the Tree of Life tile mural by artist Michael Chandler envelops the building in a nod to Larian Hekmat’s heritage and Henri Rousseau’s renowned painting, The Dream. The ceramic artwork commissioned by Sugarhouse depicts a silhouetted tree with branches extending across the storefront, featuring stylized vegetation, birds, and flower-crowned nymphs in a composition that is part nature, part imagination, part fantasy, part reality.

Upon stepping through the arched central door, customers are greeted with a motto that was uttered to Jasmin Larian Hekmat throughout her life by her grandmother — ‘May all the doors of the world always be open to you.’ Central to the store space stands a vast, elegant sculpture of a woman’s abstract figure, crafted by Larian Hekmat’s mother, artist Angela Larian, as a symbol of matriarchy and unwavering womanhood. ‘The Miami store, therefore, is more than a retail space; it’s a deeply personal homage to my roots, family, and the enduring inspirations that shape our brand,’ notes the brand’s founder.

the work nods to Persian mosque tilework, and Henri Rousseau’s painting, The Dream

a concrete sculpture and banyan tree become focal points

Sugarhouse punctuates the store with two domes which each open to a seven-foot-wide frameless oculus, allowing natural light to flood the space and illuminate the elemental surfaces. The domes and oculi recall the forms of the Pantheon, reinforcing Cult Gaia’s belief that everyone is a goddess of earth. Directly underneath the domes are two towering structures, including an elongated, Giacometti-like female nude sculpted from concrete that soars toward the heavens. Underneath the second dome is a fourteen-foot-tall Banyan tree planted within a nineteen-foot serpentine sofa, and echoing the Tree of Life mural. Like the sacred tree from Buddhism, it invites visitors to sit and achieve their own awakening within this temple of fashion.

two domes punctuate the store, each opening to a seven-foot-wide frameless oculus

earth tones and textures root the retail experience

The interior is divided into three primary sections, with a concealed fourth at the north end. Upon entrance, visitors find themselves in an open room blanketed in creamy hues of Bianco Avorio Limestone and Bianco Santa Caterina Travertine. Clothes hang neatly from unlacquered brass rods reminiscent of Cult Gaia’s jewelry, next to custom biomorphic wall mirrors by New Vernacular Studio. Passing through, visitors arrive at a central dressing area shaped from one hundred individually chiseled sandstone blocks. Designed to reference rock-cut cave temples, the structures provide privacy while also allowing merchandise to be displayed within their illuminated niches. Beyond, visitors reach a second room which mirrors the first, as a bar sits concealed beyond a brass passage door on the far wall.

Cult Gaia opens its newest flagship store in Miami Design District