Meaningful change in London fashion week

With London fashion week taking place in the capital last weekend, about 18 events showcased the latest collections by designers working across menswear, womenswear and genderless clothing. The two biggest “stars” of the event, Priya Ahluwalia and Martine Rose, showed their collections on the catwalk on Sunday. Strikingly for an industry not known for its diversity, they are both women of colour – suggesting there may be a shift in fashion towards broader representation

Speaking before her show, Ahluwalia said that since she began her brand in 2018, there has been a change: “The representation is getting more visible, and there are so many more different brands, from different owners from different backgrounds. I hope that we are on the way to meaningful change rather than just performative.”

It was inspired by how people refer to Africa as a homogenous nation,” she said. Ahluwalia explored the different African countries, even creating a spreadsheet of each country’s national dress, flowers and animals. This research provided a jumping-off point for her designs. “It’s not a top from Chad and trousers from Ivory Coast,” she said. “It’s more of a fusion