London Fashion Week: From a South Asian Lens

• London Fashion Week is off to a good start
• Increased Representation of  South Asian, Black and Queer Community
• Simran Randhawa in charge of co-curating the event

London Fashion Week June is just around the corner, London has been home to a diverse range of people coming from all walks of life. This edition of Fashion Week intends to celebrate this very essence of London. 

London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week ranks among the “Big Five” alongside Milan, Paris, New York and Tokyo.

London Fashion Week has been a benchmark for what’s hot and not in the fashion streets. The biannual event known to be menswear centric has now expanded to encompass the Black, the Queer and the South Asian community.

South Asian Representation

Simran Randhawa is in charge of co-curating the event from a South Asian point of view.

She will also be seen hosting a dinner “Conversation: A Dinner Celebrating South Asian Impact On British Fashion”

In an interview with Vogue, Randhawa mentioned that South Asian Fashion has long been stereotyped for a certain style which is not so relevant anymore like intricate beadwork or handwoven materials and they have come a long way fighting past that representation to move to an era where they can be seen just as they are. She mentioned that she has tried to fit the conventional in the contemporary.

Adding to the same she recalled how pieces of her heritage have shaped her designs like Punjabi manja, embroidered pillowcases and table cloth. She counts on ‘action and visibility’ to break the stereotype or the ‘diversity fatigue’ as she calls it, surrounding South Asian Designers.

Fresh Faces

Several renowned South Asian designers are ready to make their mark in the London Fashion Week. Priya Ahluwalia, an Indian Nigerian designer is all set to display her much talked about ‘all denim’ collection. An icing on the cake is Harri, a Kerela-born designer whose work with latex made him grist for the gossip mill.

It looks like London Fashion Week has a lot to offer for the South Asian Audience and the advocates of inclusivity!