Introducing Asma

With the brand's third collection having just dropped, we caught up with Asma to talk about her motivations and inspirations—as well as what's next.

What led you to start designing?

The natural urge I've had since childhood toward art and creating is what led me to design. I never cared much for my appearance until high school. I became fashion driven and began expressing myself through my personal style. I didn’t go to school for fashion or anything, I just knew what I wanted and that drive alone pushed me to get hands on learning in what it takes to bring a garment to life. It was tough at first doing it all on my own, but it’s something I can say I did all on my own and i’m proud of that.

Are there any other forms of art that you draw your inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from an eclectic range of music, specific periods in time, childhood memories, and people in my life. The focus however is heavy on an assortment of African, Caribbean, and Black American culture. I’m inspired by different genres of music. My favorites are Amapiano, Afrobeats, and Soukous AKA Ndombolo. Soukous dance and fashion of the 90s and early 2000s was so fun and carefree. The music videos are something you can’t forget. They bring a lot of nostalgia. Same with early 2000’s r&b and hip-hop. That era of fashion, music, and dance, it’s unforgettable.

How do you express your inspiration in your pieces?

I name my pieces after people who’ve impacted my life the most or if I just like the name. So far the names have been from places commonly used in the West African region, namely Sierra Leone which is where my roots stem. Black women are the pinnacle of my inspiration as the brand continues to grow, I aim to express the range of which we come.

I love your attention and passion for detail. What is the process when you are designing your pieces?

My process begins with illustrating the design I have in mind, creating a mood board, and then shopping for the materials to bring the piece to life.

What was the process like with your your latest collection?

The shirring and draping are a play at ecdysis, which the process of snakes shedding their skin that no longer fits them. As I am in a spiritually transitional point in my life, these pieces reflect shedding what no longer is for me. In this third collection, I paid attention to what the fabric can do. This is the first time I’ve worked with printed fabric, so I thought it’d be best to keep the designs simple with a flare. The ideas and samples for this collection were birthed in 2018-2019, which have all evolved since then. They were nice then, but now they’re really giving what I want them to give lol.

How does your personal style come through in the pieces you design?

Elevated basics and casually alluring are two terms I base my personal style and designs on. I enjoy the ease of wearing clothes that aren’t fussy, are flattering to my shape, and just simply look good without even styling it yet. Which I feel I brought to this collection as the pieces are just ready to wear as is. Fashion isn’t everything, but there certainly is power in the clothes we choose to wear.

What is one last thing you want to share with me that will give me more insight on your brand?

I’d like to share the meaning behind Asma (ahs•mah). It’s an Arabic name, which in most Arabic speaking countries means sky. Eminent is another meaning for the name which is the essence I try to bring to my pieces. I could never relate to my name for a huge part of my life until I began my brand and it’s become so much more than a name to me. I now feel myself being Asma. I’m not committed to being or doing things any one way. I believe in my divinity; I do as I desire and I’m always ready to explore ‘what’s next’ when it calls.

Fashion

TEMET: If Skims Met Skins

November 04, 2024

I often wonder where the first “afters” happened — whether it was right here in New York or somewhere else. The afters: that hazy, half-lit party that stretches into the morning, more intimate than dancing skin-to-skin with someone you just met, where the crowd thins to only those willing to let the night bleed into morning. Here, you get to watch the sunrise together too.

But today, no matter where you go in the world, if you're at a rave or DIY party, there's probably an afters. If you've never been to one, or don’t care to be, you’ve probably scrolled through your feed and seen that one story: morning sun flooding a cluttered living room, hot people still dancing, bodies tangled on a worn couch — lost in the aftermath of a night that refuses to end.

Text Sahir Ahmed
Creative Director Kiernan Francis
Designer TEMET
Photographer (Still) Alejandro Yullo
Director of Photography & Editor (Moving) Ava Papunen
Stylist Abby Bencie
Makeup Rory Alvarez
Casting Director Kiernan Francis
Lighting Director & Retoucher Lida Ramsay
Executive Producer Kiernan Francis
Associate Producer Ava Perman
Brand Producer Juanita
Soundtrack: "Revolution," Billy Doll (EXCLUSIVE RELEASE)
Makeup Assistant Kandi Milk
Fashion Assistant Jackson Prus
Production Assistant Peyton Nguyen
Production Assistant Emmanuel Delator
Production Assistant Axl Checho

This editorial for Chilean-based TEMET, a brand deeply woven into the underground music and nightlife scene, captures that noctural alchemy. Creative directed by New York’s own Kiernan Francis, the shoot draws inspiration from the afters’ electric liminality. Francis sought to celebrate the paradox of private and public life — where our truest selves might emerge within nightlife and fade into the versions of ourselves we show the world by daylight.

The cast was a mix of DJs, artists, and street-scouted creatives — some known to Francis from the scene, others discovered through social media. The styling leaned into shapewear as an experience, framed by a backdrop that evokes the afters: crowded couches, messy rooms, and the chaos of a night extending into morning. The result? A series that feels like SKIMS meeting Skins UK.

Watch the video below.

Fashion

Nikolaj Hansson Joins Diadora Legacy as Creative Director

October 31, 2024

Diadora's appointment of Danish designer Nikolaj Hansson as Creative Director for its Legacy line signals a fresh chapter for the brand. Known for his Copenhagen-based label Palmes, Hansson’s connection to Diadora began in childhood, admiring the brand’s iconic boots on Premier League defenders. Now, his deep respect for Diadora’s heritage and his vision for merging craftsmanship with progressive design will shape the brand’s premium Legacy line.

His first collection launching in Fall/Winter 2025, will blend his design ethos with Diadora’s storied history, tapping into both the brand’s past and a modern sensibility. Diadora’s CEO, Claudio Bora, shares Nikolaj Hansson's vision of sport as an emotional, daily experience, aiming to create apparel that resonates with the spirit of sport itself. As Hansson says, "the falling in love was mutual," and together, they aim to reignite that spark in a new generation of fans.