On Saturday 20th Feb., London-based designer Priya Ahluwalia presented her Autumn/Winter 2021 collection through a new fashion film called “Traces”. Showcased during London Fashion Week and created in collaboration with musician Cktrl and director Stephen Isaac Wilson, the film aims to convey a message of brotherhood and unity, inspired by the influences of our ancestors. Ahluwalia spoke to British GQ about the inspiration behind the collection and the film itself.
“It’s the biggest collection I’ve ever done. It’s the first collection where I’ve really been thinking a lot about strategy and what I want the brand to be. I want it to represent authenticity, community, and creativity,” she told the magazine. The new collection features a lot more tailoring than previous offerings and less of a reliance on tracksuits, in the hopes that Ahluwalia can reach a more universal audience. “I definitely don’t also want people to feel isolated from my brand. It’s for everyone, except racists,” she explained.
On her inspiration for the collection, Ahluwalia noted that her recent reads have encouraged her to think about what’s come before us. “One of the main books I was looking at is Homegoing. It starts with two sisters that were separated in birth and the book flips from one one sister’s family to the next,” she said. The designer added that “I want to be an amplifier of voices that are otherwise not necessarily amplified in everyday society, whether through the films I make to coincide with my collections, mentoring or partnerships.”
Read ahead to check out the collection.
