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  • The twins credit Kim Porter with teaching them how to style looks, walk in heels and dream beyond one lane in fashion
  • The 19-year-olds are launching their own clothing line, 12TWINTY1, to showcase their individual style
  • Family support, including from their father Sean 'Diddy' Combs, is central to their fashion endeavor
'Our Mom Was The Blueprint': D’Lila & Jessie Combs Are In Their Designer Era With 12TWINTY1
Source: Christopher Polk / Getty

“Our mom was the blueprint.”

D’Lila Combs and Jessie Combs opened up about their new fashion line and their mother’s influence during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. The 19-year-old twins sit down with Nischelle Turner as they launch their new brand, 12TWINTY1, this month.

We have watched the Combs twins grow up before our eyes, often dressed alike, coming into their own and rarely separated. Now, in one of their first major interviews since their father Sean “Diddy” Combs’ highly publicized trial and current jail sentence, they are stepping into adulthood. D’Lila and Jesse are clear this is their time to show who they are with a fashion company of their own.

D’Lila And Jessie Combs Are Ready To Build Their Own Fashion Name

When Nischelle asks who shaped their sense of style, D’Lila and Jessie first credit both of their parents. But their late mother, Kim Porter, had an especially strong influence, teaching them how to put looks together and walk in heels, and inspiring the twins to pursue their dreams.

“She taught us so many things about fashion, putting outfits together, how to walk in heels—literally everything,” the twins told ET.

Some of their earliest fashion memories include scooting through the hallway in Kim’s heels when they were around 3 years old. D’Lila now watches their little sister, Love, do the same thing.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is probably what my mom was seeing with me,’” D’Lila said. “Now I’m seeing it with Love. It’s so cute.”

D’Lila and Jessie also know their mother would be proud to see them launch the line they dreamed about as little girls. “She knew that we always wanted that. So I know that she would be proud that today we’re actually putting our dreams to life,” said D’Lila.

D’Lila And Jesse Combs Are In Their Designer Era

The twins have wanted to start a clothing line for years. At 19, they decide there is no reason to keep waiting. According to the twins, “Now is the time because we’re becoming adults. We’re not in high school anymore. We’re becoming young women. We’re becoming our own individuals.”

Their debut 777 collection includes sweatsuits, tank tops and boxy T-shirts. The pieces reflect the twins’ hip-hop roots with a mix of modern streetwear and Y2K vibes.

“Who doesn’t like a sweatsuit?” they said in describing their debut line. “It’s the perfect essential sweatsuit that you could just put on whenever you want.”

They continued expressing 777’s versatility, saying, “We wanted to create something that anyone can wear. Whether it’s a guy, girl, no matter your age, your size, your gender.”

D’Lila And Jessie Combs: The Entire Family Is Showing Up For 12TWINTY1

Family is at the center of the twins’ first release. Their brothers appear in the campaign for the 777 collection, supporting D’Lila and Jessie as they enter the fashion business.

The sisters also credit their siblings with helping them remain strong while their family faces intense public scrutiny. “Having a twin and having other siblings has really helped because you always have people that are there,” D’Lila says. “Our parents also raised us to be strong.”

D’Lila and Jessie briefly discuss their father during the interview, sharing that their relationship remains strong and that “he gives the best advice.” They also say he is focused on becoming a better person for his family.

D’Lila makes it clear that the headlines surrounding their father do not define her or her sister.

“Just because he’s our dad doesn’t mean his press is our press,” she says. “People fail to understand that we are also individuals.”

With 12TWINTY1, D’Lila and Jessie are ready to take on the fashion world their way. The brand is one part of their fashion plans, but designing is only the beginning.

“We want to be supermodels,” Jessie says. “Our mom was the supermodel of all supermodels. We want to do more modeling, more runway, more print, more campaigns, so we are going to be more focused on all of that.”