Days after their father Sean Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking charges but was convicted of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution that could result in up to 20 years in prison, twin sisters D’Lila and Jessie Combs revealed they are launching a fashion label.

Named 12twinty1 in honor of their Dec. 21 birthday, the 18-year-olds revealed their plans via The Combs Twins’ Instagram with a black-and-white video of them each dressed in a fitted black short-sleeved shirt and semi-sheer black pants. The sisters said they had been waiting for their “entire lives for this moment and it’s surreal to finally share it with you.”

They said it “isn’t just a brand. It’s our story. Our bond. Our roots. @12twinty1 was created with purpose, built from who we are, not just what we wear.”

The twins could not be reached for comment Wednesday and their father’s media relations team did not acknowledge an interview request for them. Their announcement clip had 52,400 views Wednesday afternoon. 

After picking up their diplomas from Sierra Canyon High School at the end of May, the twins made numerous appearances in the federal courthouse last month during their father’s seven-week trial in New York City. The pair’s mother, Kim Porter, died in 2018 at the age of 47. Combs’ other biological children are Justin, Christian, Chance and Love. The news of 12twinty1’s launch comes well in advance of their father’s sentencing, which is slated for Oct. 3. The music mogul and Sean John founder faces two counts of transportation for prostitution.

Joseph H. Hancock, a professor at Drexel University in the fashion industry merchandising program, described the decision as “prefect timing,” because supporters of Sean Combs will want to buy their brand and advocate for them. “I always say, ‘Bad publicity is good publicity.’ There’s an awareness about him so their doing this now is really good, because it gives them a spotlight as well.” 

He added, “Also, we’re not always our parents. When his brand was in its heyday, which I am old enough to remember, it was perceived as a fabulous brand. He was one of the first Black designers to have a store on Fifth Avenue [with the opening of a 3,500-square-foot Sean John store in 2004].”

Some consumers may not judge the Combs twins by their father and will want to support them and their family, Hancock said. “But I definitely think they are piggybacking off of his fame in the fashion industry as a mass brand.”

Acknowledging how their father “has a story,” Hancock said, “Any story associated with a brand can help the brand. In this time, there’s a lot of support for the Black community. Some people still think that the Black community is getting a bad rap, and that they’re being picked on and are not being supported. This is a way for those who may have some empathy or compassion to want to buy their brand.”

Hancock noted how Abercrombie & Fitch continues to perform well despite the controversy that was tied to its former chief executive officer Mike Jeffries, who is facing sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges. (Jeffries in the midst of a four-month evaluation, after being deemed mentally unfit to stand trial in May.) 

Sacred Heart University assistant professor in fashion marketing and merchandising David Loranger said, “Timing is everything, especially in fashion. We all know how quickly the news cycle runs now, so they may have been advised to launch now, since in marketing terms, they might benefit from the buzz surrounding the acquittal on the most serious charges.”

He speculated about how the number of people searching for “Combs” on Google, or the increased interest in their family, might have been factors. In addition, “a public relations consultant might advise that there is less deleterious carryover impact to the brand launch and that it’s safe to proceed before the buzz wanes,” Loranger said.

Sew Branded’s chief executive officer and chief creative officer Scott Woodward offered another view. He said, “Strategy, execution, marketing, differentiation, cult community and the team they assemble to conceive and launch this will be critical, even if they are both the joint face of the brand and co-chief creative officers. The twins will need to have fashion-level discipline, make the line irresistible and scale it like a media company. Yes, social media will play a role like it does today with everything.”

Woodward said, “The real question is what can celebrity offspring add to a brand category other than their name and the social media influencer following they may possess?”