British Vogue | Ahluwalia Sparks Joy

Priya Ahluwalia’s collection may have been born from a swell of negativity (fashion week can often feel like a disconcerting bubble, when outside it appears as if the world is caving in!), but as it progressed “the mood has shifted somewhat”. As well as designs referencing active forms of resistance – think: sharp Black Panther-inspired tailoring, newly-introduced black leathers – it’s a collection that revels in lightness too.

“I was thinking about small acts of joy, balancing negativity with positivity,” Ahluwalia explains of the smile-inducing puffball skirts, organzas and fringed flourishes that floated down the catwalk at the Rosewood Hotel. The brand’s geometric set featured panels of hand-painted wallpaper resembling vast swathes of water, an 18-month endeavour and the fruits of a collaboration with Calico Wallpaper.

Photography by Jason Lloyd Evans