Ahluwalia presented its first display in person in London Fashion Week. Vogue Business spoke to designer Priya Ahluwalia about the importance of multiculturalism and the importance of establishing a responsible company and showing that fashion can be a source of good.

A bigger-than-anticipated crowd outside central London’s hip Soho House members’ club. A Mix with Bollywood tracks and Nigerian hip-hop in the background. There are also some fantastic reviews from fashion reviewers. Ahluwalia is a brand that offers both menswear and womenswear, and it had a great debut with its very first event in February during London Fashion Week.

British fashion designer Priya Ahluwalia is an aspiring Londoner with dual Indian and Nigerian heritage. She launched her label in 2018 following her graduation from The University of Westminister’s Master in Menswear course. Her brand has been overgrowing with her brand, winning the LVMH prize in 2020, being considered in the BFC Foundation Award at the British Fashion Awards in 2021, and becoming a finalist in the Woolmark Prize this year. She also worked together with Ganni to create an upcycled line and made videos to promote Mulberry in addition to Gucci Vault. This was accomplished by leveraging collections mostly made from recycled materials and sustainable sources.

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Ahluwalia’s roots inform her design and business plan of action. “I do not adhere to a Eurocentric concept of business models,” she says. She believes in creating businesses based on inclusion and representation in everything from sourcing materials to casting models and corporate structure, marketing and. This strategy has resonated with the new Generation of insiders in the industry as with consumers who seek greater diversity and inclusion in fashion.

Since the beginning, the business has been profitable, with the 2021 forecasted revenue in the range of PS900 or PS1 million. The company’s sales have nearly doubled from season to season since the beginning of Spring/Summer 2021.

Promoting representation and inclusion

The Ahluwalia Autumn/Winter 2022 collection called From Nollywood towards Bollywood is a tribute to her childhood fond memories of these worlds. It features “authentic depictions from Black and Brown people, which are far removed from the European view,” as the show notes say. All models on the catwalk included models who were Black or South Asian. “I think it’s vital to invest in companies and individuals of color since we’re not portrayed with enough respect or treated with respect,” says Ahluwalia. “Or we’re treated in a way that is merely symbolic.”

According to the Director of casting, Troy Fearn, a diverse model for the show, presented some difficulties working with the brand since its inception. “The model availability proved difficult this season because there was a dearth in Indian and mixed ethnic models available in the city,” he says. “We’ve advanced a lot regarding representation within the agencies, but across the spectrum, there’s an extensive way to go.”

Ahluwalia is proud of the diversity that her group has and strives to create a positive environment for everyone. “Regarding my internal team, if I can put out the message that you’re committed to inclusiveness and representation, the people who apply for jobs in your organization,” she says.

In June of 2021, she benefited from the GQ/BFC menswear fund, which was used to expand her team, which is now ten strong. This group includes her mom, the finance director and an executive director of marketing and an e-commerce supervisor, and a Social Media and Brand Image Assistant. “My assistant told me, ‘Do you realize how wonderful it is to be able to go to work without worrying about someone being racist towards you at the workplace?” Ahluwalia says. “I wish for everyone to feel secure in the workplace.”

Scaling up the business

Ahluwalia introduced womenswear in the autumn of last year and was picked up by Net-a-Porter and Matches. How is the east London boutique that caters to an energetic, young crowd carrying the brand since it was launched? “We have had an impressive performance with menswear, and when we introduced womenswear immediately, it became about 50 percent of our sales,” says founder Harry Fisher. They had maintained an intimate relationship with designer Jonas since their graduation when Fisher was employed as a buyer at Machine-A. The company plans to expand its womenswear line and launch new categories like accessories and footwear.

Net-a porter has increased its purchases for 2022’s Autumn/Winter by 80% compared to the previous season and has also highlighted a positive reaction to the brand’s clothes, denim prints, colors, and prints. “Customers tend to prefer items that convey an innate sense of identity. Priya’s background and inspiration sources will allow her to create a unique perspective,” says senior market editor Libby Page.

Farfetch is also attracted by Ahluwalia’s brand’s distinctive identity, which is built on the designer’s heritage. “Priya Ahluwalia and her namesake brand are a refreshing generation of more diverse talents, helping create a new facet of the business that puts community at the forefront, and collections are an opportunity to tell stories that bring attention to previously unrepresented experiences,” is Celine Seidel the senior editor for women’s wear at.

The brand is now available in 41 retail stores across the globe; Ahluwalia is planning to expand its reach through the direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel. “We’ve been focusing our efforts on our website,” says the designer. “In 2022, we’d like to concentrate on opening up that revenue stream, not just to profit in DTC revenue, but gain from these customer relationships and control the customer’s touchpoint through your journey.”

Ahluwalia says that her brand’s marketing strategy is based on community. “Doing an entire collection on Nollywood and Bollywood has generated discussion in our audience through the Instagram comments on the post we made invites,” she says, saying that the invitations were in the spirit of Nollywood as well as Bollywood printed handcrafted posters. Panel discussions and physical events are planned to build upon the momentum.

Making responsible choices, sourcing materials

The process of finding deadstock and repurposed material has proved difficult. “The industry is not accustomed to operating in this manner, and that’s why there are issues throughout the process,” acknowledges Ahluwalia. The company is “working hard” to create a solid system of training for suppliers in Italy and the UK in the UK, Italy, and India.

The company also produces its products abroad in countries like India, Tunisia, and Nigeria. Ahluwalia is determined to do it correctly. According to her, it is about “thinking about suppliers and manufacturers as human beings instead of the outcome. If you treat your employees well, all the rest will fall into the right place”.

Ahluwalia believes that she can responsibly manage a business while still being a successful fashion-forward brand. “We’re creating fashionable clothes that are enjoyable and attractive and sexy; however, we can be responsible in our manner,” she says. “My goal is to show that fashion is an instrument to be good.”