“When I was growing up, there weren’t many black celebrities who had their natural hair out,” says Priya Ahluwalia. She felt that only Eurocentric ideals of beauty were promoted, and Ahluwalia’s own identity was somehow not regarded as valid.
Now part of a new vanguard of British designers shaking up the fashion industry, Ahluwalia frames her work around her British, Nigerian and Indian heritage, using her collections to explore and celebrate her diverse upbringing. For spring/summer 2022, she has examined the culture of black and brown hair.
“Black hair is an amazing example of artistry, tradition and beauty,” says Ahluwalia. “With my spring/summer 2022 collection, I wanted to show the beauty of black hair, to flip the narrative, and progress multifaceted representation of Afro-Caribbean and South Asian culture and people in general,” she says.
To accompany the new collection, Ahluwalia has made a short film called Parts of Me. Directed by Akinola Davies Jr, it is a story of family bonds, and showcases several styles of black and brown hair.
The aim is to normalise them — in the US, for example, sporting certain traditional hair styles, including locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots and Afros, is still considered legitimate grounds for non-promotion in some corporate jobs.
Last month, the US House of Representatives voted to pass the Crown (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act, a bill that seeks to ban race-based hair discrimination in employment. The Biden administration released a statement expressing support for the act, saying: “The president believes that no person should be denied the ability to obtain a job, succeed in school or the workplace, secure housing, or otherwise exercise their rights based on a hair texture or hairstyle.”
Speaking about natural, non-chemically treated hair, Ahluwalia says: “It is often used as the basis of discrimination, and I think it’s important to amplify these conversations to show how special it is and how much respect it deserves.”
Since launching her namesake label in 2018, fresh from finishing a master’s in menswear at the University of Westminster, Ahluwalia has been pushing the boundaries of what menswear can be. Fusing the vibrant colours and patterning of Nigeria with the extraordinary handwork skills of India, she is creating a new lexicon for British menswear.
Despite being such a young label, Ahluwalia’s list of achievements is already impressive. Only months after graduating, she picked up the 2019 H&M Design Award, which supports outstanding graduates.
In January 2019, she made her debut at Paris Fashion Week, with an autumn/winter menswear collection. That same season, she collaborated with Adidas Maker Lab and, a few months later, showed at Arise Fashion Week in Lagos, Nigeria, and was chosen by the British Fashion Council’s Newgen initiative, in support of her spring/summer 2020 men’s collection.
In November 2019, she launched a 10-piece capsule collection with Browns of London and by March 2020, had been included on the Forbes 30 under 30 European Arts and Culture list. In April, she was named as one of the joint winners of the LVMH Prize 2020, and was then hand-picked by Alessandro Michele at Gucci to contribute a short film to GucciFest, with her project Joy launching in November.
“I think my heritage, narrative and perspective on design offers something new to the industry. I am really interested in the clothes people wear in India, Nigeria and England, and I like the nuances between them all. While they have similarities, each country has its own vibe,” she says.
For spring/summer, Ahluwalia has created a co-ed collection with a strong 1970s undertone. Retro tracksuits are reimagined and are now patchworked from circular pieces, to create curved lines that wrap around the body. Knitwear also arrives as patchworked slip dresses, and even denim seems to be cut on the round. Tops and jackets are patterned to mimic hair braids and dresses are emblazoned with bold patterns, sometimes with added embroidery.
Most importantly, each piece is different to the next, something that is vital for Ahluwalia. “In both the countries where I am from — India and Nigeria — you have a local tailor who tailors your outfit, whether it’s for a party or for life or whatever, and I think what is interesting about that is that everyone can be quite unique. My brand is giving that to people.
“With the patchwork pieces I create, for example, none of them are the same. I am speaking to that need for individuality and having something that is unique, so you are more likely to treasure it.”
Part of that approach is the company’s exclusive use of deadstock — surplus fabric left over from previous seasons by fashion manufacturers. “We work with deadstock materials to repurpose the old into new, exciting clothing, which not only finds new life for these materials, but also eliminates waste.”
For Ahluwalia, this approach is the only credible route to take. “I believe that I can be responsible with business, but still create desirable clothes that are fun and interesting to wear.”
This focus on sustainability has already earned the label The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, but it is more than a token gesture, Ahluwalia says. “I have done a lot of research and looked into the recycling industry, so I have seen the reality of what we as humans are doing to destroy the planet. Once you have seen something like that, there isn’t any way you can design without that in mind.”
This commitment to repurposing deadstock opened up new possibilities for Ahluwalia last year. This included an expansion into womenswear, via a collaboration with Danish brand Ganni, on a capsule collection made from leftover fabrics. “I had always known I wanted to go into womenswear, and ever since my first show, lots of people had been asking me about it. Having the support of the Ganni collaboration allowed me to do so.”
Now a fixture of the brand, womenswear is instinctual for the designer. “I love to design for women — I actually insert myself into the design process a lot. Thinking about what my friends and I wear, and what we would want to wear to certain occasions, for example, on a date or to the club.”
Last year, Ahluwalia also won the British Fashion Council / GQ Menswear Designer Fund, which came with £150,000 ($197,960) of funding, and the designer was invited to rework Mulberry’s classic Portobello tote for the brand’s 50th anniversary.
When Mulberry contacted her about the project, Ahluwalia jumped at the chance. “Mulberry is such an iconic brand, one that I have memories of from my childhood, ever since I used to borrow my mum’s bag, so it was an opportunity to collaborate with a brand that is very meaningful to me.”
True to form, the new bags are all made from repurposed leather scraps from Mulberry’s factory. While such thinking is second nature for the designer, it is still something of a revelation for the wider industry.
As she helps redraw how fashion operates, Ahluwalia could be forgiven for crowing about her impact, yet she remains remarkable grounded. “There have been so many highlights and I’m so lucky to have been on such an extraordinary journey.”
The%20National%20selections
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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HWJN
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m; Winner: MM Al Balqaa, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Qaiss Aboud (trainer)
5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: AF Rasam, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mujeeb, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Pat Dobbs, Ibrahim Aseel
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Nibraas, Richard Mullen, Nicholas Bachalard
Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
RIDE%20ON
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CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
