Priya Ahluwalia

Priya Ahluwalia
Born1992/1993
EducationUniversity for the Creative Arts (BA)
University of Westminster (MA)
OccupationFashion designer
Known forFounder of the fashion label Ahluwalia
AwardsQueen Elizabeth II Award for British Design (2021)

Priya Ahluwalia (born 1992/1993) is a British fashion designer and founder of the apparel brand Ahluwalia. She gained notability for her approach to sustainable fashion.[1] Ahluwalia’s work focuses on upcycling, ethical practices, and exploring identity through multiculturalism.[2]

Early life and education

Ahluwalia was born to a second generation British-Indian mother from Newcastle and a Nigerian father and grew up in Tooting.[3] Her multicultural upbringing influenced her design philosophy.[4]

Ahluwalia attended a girls school and had a Saturday job in Kingston.[5] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Fashion from the University for the Creative Arts in 2015.[6] She completed a Master of Arts (MA) in Menswear at University of Westminster in 2018.[7][8]

Career

Ahluwalia launched the clothing brand, Ahluwalia, in 2018. The brand focuses on creating clothing using deadstock fabrics and vintage textiles.[9] Her designs draw inspiration from her trips to Lagos, Nigeria, and Panipat, India, as well as her experiences growing up in London.[10][11]

The graduate collection that preceded the launch of her label received an order from the retailer Opening Ceremony (retailer)|Opening Ceremony and was covered by Dazed, i-D and CNN. Six months after completing her master's degree, Ahluwalia presented work with Adidas at Paris Fashion Week.[12]

Ahluwalia has collaborated with brands such as Adidas Originals, Mulberry, Microsoft, and PUMA.[13] These include a "capsule collection" with Mulberry using repurposed leather and the Circulate platform with Microsoft, which integrates technology into upcycling.[14][15]

Ahluwalia's work has received recognition in the fashion industry for its focus on sustainability and storytelling.[16] She was awarded the H&M Design Award (2019), was a finalist for the LVMH Prize (2020), and received the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design (2021).[17][8]

In 2021, she won the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund, which carried a £150,000 cash prize along with a year of business mentoring and pro-bono legal services.[18] She was also named a finalist for the 2022 International Woolmark Prize.[19]

Ahluwalia’s designs have been featured in exhibitions and installations globally, where her use of textiles often emphasizes the environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry.[20] In January 2024, she appeared on a cover of British Vogue alongside the designers Tolu Coker and Torishéju Dumi for an issue spotlighting sustainability in fashion.[21]

Books

Ahluwalia has published two photography books. Her first, Sweet Lassi, was made to accompany her MA graduate collection and documented a 2017 trip to Lagos, Nigeria, and Panipat, India, where she photographed the secondhand-clothing and textile-recycling trade.[22] Her second book, Jalebi (2020), made with the photographer Laurence Ellis and released during London's first digital fashion week, is a portrait of the Punjabi community of Southall in west London.[22][23]

Films

In November 2020, Ahluwalia released her first short film, Joy, as part of GucciFest, a digital showcase organized by Gucci. Directed by Samona Olanipekun, the documentary-style film featured community figures and celebrated Afro-Caribbean culture and the Black British experience.[24][25]

References

  1. ↑ Sharma, Meara (August 10, 2020). "The British Designer Paying Tribute to the Immigrant Experience". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Priya Ahluwalia". Forbes. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Priya Ahluwalia is the real deal". Luxury London. November 16, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Ahluwalia: The Designer Filtering Diverse Cultures Into Vibrant Menswear". Esquire. February 23, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ Hans, Simran (October 7, 2019). "Priya Ahuluwalia is the menswear designer to watch". SSense. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Triple success for UCA at 2024 Fashion Awards". University for the Creative Arts. December 3, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Designer Priya Ahluwalia Keeps Pushing the Boundary". W Magazine. September 14, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Weston, Sabina (October 7, 2023). "Priya Ahluwalia: from Drapers 30 Under 30 to designer royalty". Drapers. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Priya Ahluwalia - Kinfolk". www.kinfolk.com. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ Shoaib, Maliha (February 23, 2022). "Inside Ahluwalia: The London brand that's breaking the mould". Vogue Business. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The Female Gaze: Priya Ahluwalia Is Boundary-Breaking Designer Reshaping Menswear". ELLE. August 10, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  12. ↑ Sessoms, Janelle (May 13, 2024). "How Priya Ahluwalia Turned Her Childhood Love for Fashion Into an Award-Winning Brand". Fashionista. Retrieved August 22, 2026.
  13. ↑ Cheung, Adam (October 1, 2025). "Priya Ahluwalia grew up on the Puma Suede – now she's got her own". British GQ. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Mulberry Explores Symbolism of Black Hair in Collection with Priya Ahluwalia". Harper's BAZAAR. June 14, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  15. ↑ Farra, Emily (November 2, 2021). "Priya Ahluwalia Wants Your Old Clothes: How a New Microsoft Collaboration Brings Consumers Into the Upcycling Process". Vogue. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Priya Ahluwalia has been honoured as the 'Environmental Leader of Change' at the Fashion Awards". Vogue Scandinavia. November 30, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  17. ↑ May, Naomi (November 17, 2020). "Meet the woman making menswear exclusively from deadstock fabrics". The Standard. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  18. ↑ Zhang, Tianwei (June 14, 2021). "Priya Ahluwalia Wins BFC/GQ Designer Men's Wear Fund". WWD. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  19. ↑ Conti, Samantha (November 24, 2021). "Priya Ahluwalia, Peter Do Among Seven Finalists for 2022 Woolmark Prize". WWD. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ Conti, Samantha (May 15, 2023). "Priya Ahluwalia Works Vintage Textiles Into Costumes for Installation by Shezad Dawood". WWD. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  21. ↑ "The Cover Stars of British Vogue's Latest Issue Are 3 Prodigious Designers of Nigerian Descent". BellaNaija. December 14, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Priya Ahluwalia's insatiable sweet tooth finds her in Southall". The Face. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  23. ↑ "A Portrait of Southall's Punjabi Community: Inside Ahluwalia's Latest Book". AnOther. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  24. ↑ "GucciFest's emerging designers discuss the inspirations behind their films". i-D. November 26, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Five films from GucciFest you really need to see". Dazed. November 23, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
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