Abingdon Co. Image displaying ©2023 Jasmine Davis in recording studio working on her next EP

She’s All That: and much, much more….

Multimodal creative Jasmine Davis is making her way forward in her own special style

Los Angeles, California

Jasmine Davis is what you see: an actress, model, song writer, fashion designer, influencer…you name it and this spirited Millennial has probably had her hands in it and arms around it, pulled into a deep embrace (and if she hasn’t, well, lookout, because she’s got plans!).

She started down her twisted, multi prong path early in life. “I wasn’t motivated by much in school but if there was a play then my hand went up. I started creating when I was around twelve, when it came to music. I'd be like sitting at my mom's kitchen table writing and she'd be like, what are you doing? I'd be off in my own world writing songs and I was like, `I want to be an artist.’”

Abingdon Co. Image displaying ©2023 Jasmine Davis in a recording studio in Los Angeles

The Secret

Modeling came next, mostly local gigs. “I was a skinny little kid!” she laughs. “I first started trying to do local plays and talent shows. We would just be goofing around, but it'd be fun because I come from some musical genius, people who really sang their asses off in choir at church. It was inspiring, those voices.” Her Catholic upbringing was problematic when it came to the disconnect between her physical manifestation at birth (male) and what she felt inside (female). It took time for her family to come around to understanding what was happening, and her transition was deeply private for years.

From Modeling to Acting

Eventually the acting bug brought Jasmine to Chicago’s Second City Improv, where she got serious about learning her craft. “I fell in love with acting, and it just became an ongoing thing from there. I was a really shy person. If Instagram was around, then no, I would not be on it. I’m still an introvert, but the Second City classes helped me express my personality,” she remembers. She completed her formal education years later, graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2015 with a degree in Sociology.

The Hollywood Transgender "Label"

As for Hollywood, that was, is, always will be a tough nut for anyone with lofty acting ambitions. There were big roles that came Jasmine’s way and she nearly snagged them, but didn’t get those last calls. “I didn’t know how I was going to make it. I got a lot of no,” she sighs, remembering the times as emotionally tough.

But there were a few role winning moments to buoy her up. A gig as a pregnant woman in a NY Life commercial (particularly memorable for its irony) and then the TV show L.A.’s Finest, where she played the transgender Claire. And most recently she played Imani on The Chi, another transgender woman. Not long after she came out as being a transgender woman in real life. Social media was not kind, initially, but her inner circle buoyed her up. “I was so tired of hiding,” she told TV Guide shortly after she revealed herself in 2020.

Abingdon Co. Image displaying ©2023 Jasmine Davis song writing at Griffith National Park

Serving Black and LGBTQ+ Communities

It wasn’t easy, but she’s glad she’s living her own truth in public. Representing her LGBTQ+ and Black community is what moves her these days. “I'm revamping my company to do new designs, such as t-shirts. I want to do something simple and for everyday wear. I love graffiti or anything sustainable, because if I'm gonna wear it, I feel like I need it to contribute somehow to ending global crises, especially in the fashion world,” she says. “And I know, some people say I’m hypocritical because I modeled some designer stuff before and I like wearing designer clothes. But I feel like we need to have everything in moderation. I'm not trying to be perfect, but I know that if I’m going to be the face of something then it has to be something more sustainable,” she explains.

Carpé Diem

Beyond fashion Jasmine is working on an album, a short film (a horror flick!) and dropping hints all over social media. She’s doing it all while actively watching for her next big role. It’s out there. And she’s ready for it.

What she says about her Abingdon watch

And her watch? It’s an Abingdon. “When we met, Abingdon’s energy was just amazing. She started telling me her story and I'm all about supporting another woman in the fashion business, because I know it’s hard,” she sighs. “I know it can be tough starting your own company, your own brand. Being a boss. I don't believe there are a lot of watches made by women. It makes me feel empowered, wearing it, you know. And it makes me feel fashionable because, honestly, it's a dope ass watch.”

What she wears:

Elise Watch

Swiss Movement, Three Time Zones, Date Function, 4 Hand