Inspired by her mum’s forthcoming wedding, designer Priya Ahluwalia rifled through her family’s photo albums to find nostalgic moments that could be woven into her beautiful dead-stock garments. Delving further into her family history, this young talent pulled together references as seemingly disparate as the UK garage posters that informed her childhood and her grandfather’s old suit. The latter was the foundation for the tailored pieces in her Ahluwalia Studio SS20 collection, while an old snap of him looking suitably dapper was also used as a print, alongside further imagery taken from the archives. Another sweet touch was the use of intricate glass beading on slick sporty tops to celebrate her dual Nigerian-Indian heritage.

With her label now in its second year, and with her zero-waste approach only growing stronger, silk scarves from her previous collection found themselves incorporated into this season’s pieces. And familial hand-me-downs were celebrated in knitwear from relatives, which she has reimagined to make relevant for now. Best of all though were the beautiful gold jewellery on show, which was crafted from repurposed metals and made in collaboration with jeweller Elena Croce. Upcycling has never looked so fly.

Read our full interview with Priya Ahluwalia here

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Published on 15/06/2019