AHLUWALIA

Some labels commence to general fanfare, and this is exactly what happened for Priya Ahluwalia's eponymous brand. Launched in 2018 after her obtention of a Master's degree in Menswear from the University of Westminster, it wasn't long before the new label was the talk of the town. A few months after its founding, in November, the young creator took home the 2019 H&M Award, a prize won by the likes of Minjukim and Richard Quinn in previous editions. The following year was just as busy, including Ahluwalia's first show at Men's Fashion Week in Paris in January, Lagos in April, and a first show in London with the support of NEWGEN, an organization supporting young designers. 2020 was equally auspicious, seeing Ahluwalia score the LVMH Prize and continue her ascent in the microcosm of the fashion industry. Reputed for her colorful style, mixing influences from her Indian and Nigerian heritage upon the background of a childhood spent in London, this designer is imposing herself as one of the generation's biggest names. And if the fashion industry pumped its brakes a bit in 2021, the same cannot be said for Priya Ahluwalia. In February, she won the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, an honor awarded by the Queen herself to young creators who are making a buzz for their talent as well as for their social engagements. It's a prize that was won in 2018 by Richard Quinn, but comparisons stop there. Last April, Ahluwalia began a new chapter in the story of her label with her first women's ready-to-wear collection, in collaboration with Denmark's Ganni. Gifted and in good company.