D’Lila and Jessie Combs are stepping into the spotlight on their own terms.
In their first televised interview since their father Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal troubles and imprisonment, the 19-year-old twins spoke with Entertainment Tonight about launching their clothing brand, 12TWINTY1, sharing why they felt now was the right time to pursue a dream they’ve had since childhood.
The twins said they were not hesitant about putting themselves in the public eye despite the attention surrounding their family.
“Just because he’s our dad doesn’t mean like his press is [our] press. Our press is our own press,” one sister said. “People fail to understand that we are also individuals. Like it’s separate. So I don’t have any fear.”
They also explained that outside noise has only motivated them to work harder.
“I just feel like we’ve never like allowed any of that to like stop us. Like we have to keep going. And it’s honestly just made us push and work harder because, you know, we’re not going to stop.”
The sisters revealed they have wanted to create a clothing line for years but felt this chapter of their lives was the right time to move forward.
“We wanted to have a clothing line for many, many, many years,” they shared. “Now is the time because we’re becoming adults. We’re 19 years old. We’re not in high school anymore. We’re becoming young women. We’re becoming our own individuals. So, yes, now is the perfect time.”
The interview also touched on their relationship with their father. D’Lila and Jessie described Sean Combs as someone who continues to support them, particularly as they build their fashion business.
“We definitely are very close and he gives the best advice. He’s always going to be there and he’s always going to tell us the right answers. He’s literally like never wrong. Everything that he has told us about this, it’s been so helpful,” they said.
“He’s an amazing dad. He’s the best dad,” they continued.
They added that he encouraged them not to rush the launch.
“He always would tell us like take your time because we wanted to rush this…So he was like take your time on this project because you want this to be great.”
The debut 777 Collection includes sweatsuits, tank tops and oversized T-shirts designed with versatility in mind.
Asked to describe the brand in three words, the sisters chose “comfy,” “stylish,” and “universal.”
“We just wanted to create something that like anyone can wear,” they explained. “Whether it’s like guy, girl, no matter your age, your size, your gender… We wanted to create something that like anyone could have.”
The collection’s name also carries personal meaning. The twins said the number 777 has always been significant because they see it often, they were born seven minutes apart, and it was also their parents’ favorite number. Their brand name, 12TWINTY1, references their December 21 birthday.
Fashion has long been a shared passion for the sisters, who credited both of their parents for inspiring their love of style.
“Obviously, our parents,” they said. “Our mom was, she was the blueprint.”
Remembering Kim Porter, who died from pneumonia in 2018, the twins said she taught them everything from putting outfits together to walking in heels.
“She has taught us so much things about fashion. Putting outfits together, how to walk in heels, like literally everything.”
They added that Porter knew about their dream of launching a clothing brand from an early age.
“I know she would be so proud of us because she obviously would hear us telling her like, ‘We want to have a clothing line’ at 3 years old. I know that she would be proud that today that we’re actually putting our dreams to life.”
Looking ahead, D’Lila and Jessie said fashion is only the beginning. Along with expanding 12TWINTY1 into categories such as beauty, skincare, accessories and hair products, they hope to continue modeling and walking runways.
“We want to be super models for sure because our mom was the super model of the supermodel of the supermodel,” they said. “This new chapter is like do more modeling, more runway, more print, more campaigns, more all of that.”
The sisters also addressed a common misconception about growing up in a famous family.
“I feel like something that is misunderstood a lot is that we’re given everything and everything just comes to us,” they said. “We really are very hardworking and we work for what we want Just because we come from like a wealthy famous family doesn’t mean that we’re just out here not doing anything. We are putting in the work.”
