Priya Ahluwalia is the half Indian, half Nigerian designer making her name known in London’s menswear scene. Her rise to recognition was swift — Ahluwalia graduated from Westminster University in 2018 but soon received the H&M Design Award that same year, and a collaboration with athleticwear company adidas followed in early 2019. Ahluwalia’s ability to colorfully infuse her cultural roots and South London upbringing into her designs have made her an exciting talent to look out for. The critics would agree — CNN, The New York Times and British GQ are just some of the big-name publications that have profiled Ahluwalia this year.

In addition to channeling immigrant life and the music of Sade and Fela Kuti for inspiration, Ahluwalia also designs with sustainability in mind. The 27-year-old creative transforms deadstock and vintage clothing into new garments for her seasonal collections. Patchwork elements and the mixing of discarded fabrics to make one-of-a-kind creations has been Ahluwalia’s signature style. For Fall 2020, Ahluwalia turned to the ‘60’s for design cues — ornate knits, large swirl patterns and radiant colorblocking set the tone of the collection. The athleticwear-meets-leisure wear aspect of the range also referenced vintage Nigerian album covers and Caribbean-British culture.

Ahluwalia is a design star in the making. She was one of the finalists this year for the LVMH Prize for Young Designers and she also dropped an exclusive capsule collection with retailer MATCHESFASHION. Ahluwalia’s second book Jalebi also dropped and features photography by Laurence Ellis surrounding Southall, Britain’s first Punjabi community. Lastly, Gucci and Alessandro Michele invited the rising fashion visionary to take part in the luxury label’s GucciFest. A showcase for emerging talent, the film festival screened Ahluwalia’s short film Joy,’ a visual celebration of the Black experience.