Jasmin Khezri from Irma’s World talks style, upcycling fashion and how to find inspiration building your own personal wardrobe

We women have a complex relationship with fashion and clothes. Some of us use it to hide our insecurities. Others – to belong to a group or for status. Sometimes we use fashion to inspire us to be the woman we want to be. As Nora Efron wrote in her bestselling book, I Feel Bad About My Neck: “I tried spending quite a lot of money on a purse, the theory being that having an expensive purse would inspire me to become a different person,”

There is a group of women though, who see fashion as a playground of their creativity. They like to play with fashion, to speak and express through its forms, colours, patterns and combinations. And not only. Those women don’t fall victim to style rules and fashion trends. They become style mavericks who inspire others without dictating, but rather guiding and encouraging women to be themselves, to dress accentuating their best features and to express individuality. 

Today I am talking to one of those women, the creative director, illustrator and journalist, the founder of the digital magazine Irma’s World. Jasmin Khezri was raised in Germany, England and France. She studied at the renowned Parsons School of Design in Paris and Los Angeles and worked as an art director for magazines such as Jetzt-Magazin and Marie Claire. While writing a column on style, fashion, travel and food for GLAMOUR Germany, Jasmin chose her pen name Irma after her grandmother, who was an inspirational force in her life, a muse to her husband, the sculptor Carl Vilz and who had worked a great part of her life successfully as fashion buying director. She developed her illustrated character Irma through different illustrations and written stories. 

In 2010 Jasmin Khezri founded her own digital multichannel lifestyle and entertainment magazine, which she called Irma’s World. 

Tsitaliya: Why did you decide to create your own collection?

Jasmin: It happened naturally, the well-known way. I couldn’t find what I wanted so I started designing blouses. It was during the pandemic. I put them online and they started selling very well, all over the world. That gave me courage to keep going and to do more – pants to go with the blouses, jackets and dresses. 

Tsitaliya: Your style is so eclectic, so vibrant and rich in details, so ….personal. You play so skilfully with contrasts and proportions. I can only imagine that through all the years working in fashion you’ve built an amazing wardrobe, but we look back at the beginning – what is your advice for those who are not into fashion and have a very basic wardrobe – where can they get inspiration what to wear?  

Jasmin: Nowadays social media is the biggest source of inspiration for most people, following the influencers and magazines you like. I personally still get my inspiration form books and movies, from traveling and art, from my illustrations when it comes to colour and composition. I do a lot of mood boards and sometimes you can do your own moodpboard of what inspires you, you can go to museums, but also look closer at the street style. Traveling is another inspiration, watching people from different cultures, what they wear, how they mix and match. It is all about scale, size, fabrics and colour. 

Tsitaliya: How about building a personal style, apart from trends?

Jasmin: You have to look closer at yourself without judging whether you are too thin or too big, but rather find the things that are positive. Then embrace and highlight these features. It could be your eyes, your waist or anything that you consider beautiful. Try things out, play around and have fun with fashion. Don’t be too serious and don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

Tsitaliya: What is the biggest fashion faux-pas in your life till now? 

Jasmin: They are so many! But I like to take things with a little sense of humour and I try to make my style always personal. With my designs I like to emphasise the feminine figure. For me it is important to be aware of the female body and make the best of it. For example the high-waste pants of my brand make your legs look longer. My jackets are slightly shorter at the front and longer at the back so they elongate the silhouette. I believe everyone can use clothes for their best benefit instead of hiding or wearing all the same clothes and accessories like everyone else. 

Tsitaliya: Do you believe in rules like Dress for success or Dress for your age? 

Jasmin: I believe there is some truth in these quotes. I think you should dress for your age, but that doesn’t mean to not wear miniskirts when you are 60 if you have amazing legs and you feel confident wearing them. The rule is not general, it is a rule to dress well for yourself and to feel good in what you wear. 

Tsitaliya: Do you have a favourite piece you are obsessing about at the moment and can’t stop waring?

Jasmin: At the moment, but also for a long time, I have been wearing on repeat my vintage furs. From my current collection I love my bomber jacket, which is versatile, comfortable and cool and fits well with baggy jeans, skirts and even something dressy. The thing is that when I started using furs in my designs, I received a lot of negative comments and questions. I had to explain people what it means to produce fake fur: so many chemicals are used and they are harmful not only for the environment but also the people who work with them. Vintage furs are already there, from your  mother perhaps or grandmother, why not use something that already exists? As a result many clients came to me to give me their vintage furs and we created modern pieces they can use again. I like when there is no waste.

Tsitaliya:  Spring is around the corner. What is your styling tip for this spring?

Jasmin: At the moment I am absolutely in love with vintage jewellery. I like the clip earrings from the 60s, which are almost like make up, they can highlight your face and make you look fresh and vibrant. I like vintage chains too and sometimes I use them to make belts. I like to add at the moment. 

May be the reason is that I am working currently on my AW collection and the colours are more quiet, however the accessories add more fun and light to outfits!

Discover Jasmin Khezri Collection in By Adushka online or By Aduhka Zurich on Zinnengasse 4.