The ESSENtialists with Jasmine Dowling

THE ESSENTIALISTS WITH JASMINE DOWLING

Welcome to the ESSENtialists, a series where we connect with inspiring creatives, entrepreneurs, and like-minded women over the Essence of Less.  

For Jasmine Dowling, creativity is grounded in connection. A creative with a background in design, her practice moves intuitively between mediums, guided by texture, feeling, and a deep understanding of story. Less interested in formula than resonance, her work is shaped by what feels considered and true.  

Her approach to style follows the same logic — feminine yet relaxed, with a focus on pieces that are worn, loved, and returned to. For Jasmine, luxury is time: time spent living in something until it becomes second nature. In this instalment of the ESSENtialists, she reflects on intuition, visual storytelling, and why the most enduring pieces are always the ones that feel exactly right.

Can you tell us a little about yourself — who you are and what you do?

I am a creative working in still and motion. With a background in design, I work a lot with mixing mediums to creatively tell stories for brands.

What inspired this collaboration with ESSEN, and what about the brand felt like the right fit for you?

I had my first pair of ESSEN Foundation Flats arrive over two years ago, and they have hardly left my feet since, so creating a custom pair felt like a dream collaboration. Over the last year, I have been on a journey of finding the perfect shade of blue for interiors in my home, and that continued when dreaming up the colour for our Foundation Flat.

What do you hope people feel when they wear something you’ve helped create?

I hope they feel like themselves — comfortable and confident.

How would you describe your idea of luxury — and what has shaped that idea over time?

It always comes back to time. When thinking about a product, it is about time spent worn and loved. True luxury is having something that feels exactly right for you — something you will love to wear time and time again.

How would you describe your personal style, and how has it evolved alongside your creative practice?

My personal style is feminine but relaxed. I am drawn to shape and texture (similar to my creative practice), however I have learnt that what I am sometimes drawn to in clothing isn’t always what I feel most like myself in. I can appreciate and be drawn to a lot of fashion without it needing to be what I wear every day.

ESSEN’s philosophy centres on ‘The Essence of Less’ What does that phrase mean to you?

It always comes back to time. When thinking about a product, it is about time spent worn and loved. True luxury is having something that feels exactly right for you — something you will love to wear time and time again.

How do you approach visual storytelling, and what role does intuition or emotion play in your creative process?

My process can change from project to project, however one thing that is always key for me is looking for connections. Deeply trying to understand the story I am trying to tell, and seeing what speaks to me about that story, helps guide how I communicate it to others.

How do you like to wear your ESSEN x Jasmine Dowling Foundation Flat?

It would be shorter to list how I don’t wear them. I wear a lot of full-length skirts and dresses, so I love seeing the toe of the flat peeping out below. I recently made myself a pair of silk dupion pants in a chartreuse, which I love pairing back with the Bluebell shade of blue beneath.

Which piece in your wardrobe have you had the longest — and why do you think it’s endured?

The first thing that comes to mind is an Acne Studios leather jacket I purchased in Paris in 2016, so that has almost been with me for ten years. It holds such sentimental value to me that I can never see myself parting with it.

What’s inspiring you most right now — personally or creatively?

A few months ago I started sewing again, so I’m finding a lot of inspiration in textiles at the moment.