London-based fashion brand Ahluwalia introduced their first full mens and womenswear collection for spring summer '22. Priya Ahluwalia’s dual heritage acts as a cornerstone of the nature of each collection, delving into various aspects of Afro-Indian culture to form a basis of both visual and linguistic forms which embellish the fashion pieces. For her SS22 collection, we were tasked with creating repeat patterns and the graphic language to work across multiple items such as dresses and outerwear, as well as the not-for-sale footwear with spray painted graphic prints.

‘Tools of Expression’ became a visual mantra for this collection, inspired by the practice of African hairstyling and braiding as something that is worn and inherently grounded in identity much like the clothing itself. The designs created present an ecology of movement and connection to diasporic heritage through the patterns and arrangement of words.