AFTER A FASHION

After seeing the amount of waste in the fashion industry, one designer hopes to make a change with her unique brand.

UK-based menswear designer Priya Ahluwalia has taken inspiration from her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and English roots, as well as her desire to do something positive for the planet, to create her brand, Ahluwalia Studio. After graduating with a master’s degree in Menswear from the University of Westminster in 2018, and showing her graduate collection at London Fashion Week, Ahluwalia released a book called Sweet Lassi – which focuses on a 2017 trip to visit family in Lagos, Nigeria. On the trip the designer noticed people wearing obscure British clothing, like one merchant sporting a London Marathon 2012 shirt. It got Ahluwalia thinking about how the presence of these textiles told a larger story about second-hand clothing. Ahluwalia then visited Panipat – a city north of Delhi – to photograph the garment recycling capital of the world and witness the amount of waste the fashion industry produces. These trips helped clarify her vision for Ahluwalia Studio – a brand that focuses on sustainability by upcycling and creating forwardthinking garments, using responsible sourcing and manufacturing methods. Her work explores the life of secondhand and dead-stock clothing, using innovative and design-led techniques. In January this year, Ahluwalia Studio AW19 was showcased in collaboration with Adidas Originals during Paris Fashion Week. The runway show featured SC Supercourt trainers that Ahluwalia designed in collaboration with Adidas Originals. “I don’t want to add to fashion’s footprint,” explains Ahluwalia. “I want to make a change.”