Designer Priya Ahluwalia Talks Favourite Fashion Moments, Career Highlights & More
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My earliest fashion memories are tied to family. My mum has always loved clothes and my grandad owned a newsagent in Tooting, which meant I grew up surrounded by magazines. I would spend hours flicking through the pages, absorbing all the images and stories.
It was the theatrics of fashion that first drew me in. I trained as a dancer until I was 18 and loved the performance of it all – putting on a show for people, creating an atmosphere. Fashion felt like the perfect extension of that.
Comically, it was MTV that shaped how I saw style. I was obsessed with music videos growing up. TLC, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Ginuwine and Jodeci all had such distinct looks. They showed me how clothes could communicate who you were without saying a word. That visual storytelling has stayed with me ever since.
The foundations for Ahluwalia were laid during my master’s degree. While studying, I travelled to Lagos in 2017 to visit my dad and saw hawkers in traffic jams wearing second-hand UK clothes – oddly mixed pieces like old London Marathon tees. I asked them how they got them, started researching and then went to Panipat in India to see how discarded textiles are handled there. Seeing mountains of fabric in recycling plants, watching how waste is transformed – or not – made me want to build a brand rooted in my heritage but also one that confronted the sustainability issue in fashion.
My debut runway was called ‘Bollywood to Nollywood’. It was staged at Ultima 22 and celebrated two cinematic worlds. I’ll never forget the excitement – Edward Enninful came, the room was full and people were even leaking the address to get in. It was chaotic, brilliant and the best start I could have asked for.
Since then, I’ve learnt to trust my instincts more. At the beginning I sometimes stayed quiet because I didn’t want to seem difficult but I realised if I didn’t like something, I needed to speak up. Over time, I’ve also become much more interested in building an experience – what people see and hear when they come to a show – and making sure every season tells a story.
The reaction to my shows has always felt special. We’ve had incredible crowds full of actors, musicians and sports stars – many of whom I now consider friends. It’s always flattering to get a message from someone like Anna Wintour but honestly, I’m just happy when anyone connects with the work.
‘Pinch-me’ moments happen all the time. Hiring my first employee, winning awards, securing new stockists, being asked to make a film by Gucci, even seeing the brand displayed in Selfridges – every milestone feels surreal in its own way.
My personal style is amplified through the brand. I wear everything we create – usually menswear in the day and womenswear in the evening, or sometimes a mix of both. I’m drawn to colour, texture and shape, and that depth is at the heart of Ahluwalia.
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I’ve never been a designer who leans heavily on fashion history. I’m more inspired by art, sculpture and light, and in menswear I often look to archetypes rather than specific designers. Of course, there are eras I admire – I love the colour palettes of the 70s and the stripped-back minimalism of the 90s – but I tend to take my cues from culture, heritage and lived experience instead of anchoring myself to traditional Eurocentric references.
Some pieces will always stand out. The blue gown from AW25 is one of my favourites, as is the look we created for Aimee Lou Wood at the Met Gala. Both pieces feel like they capture the storytelling and craft I want my work to represent.
Right now, my mind is fully on the upcoming show. It’s titled ‘Affinity’ and it explores depictions of romantic love – the gestures, the grandeur and the emotions behind them. I was particularly inspired by monuments like the Taj Mahal, built by a Maharaja in memory of his wife, and the V&A, created by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria. Both are examples of how love can be translated into something monumental and enduring, and I wanted to weave that symbolism into the collection.
The collection is all about refined, pared-back silhouettes, as well as more exuberant pieces rich in colour and texture. It’s about reflecting all sides of romance – the butterflies, the lust, the stress and the release. Even the soundtrack mirrors that arc: I worked with producer Tom Tripp to create a score that moves through different phases of love, and we’ll also have a live violinist performing live. From the first note to the final look, I want people to feel completely immersed in the story.
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