「沒人可以告訴我 “我是誰”。你可以形容部分的我是什麼樣子。但真正的我是誰，我需要什麼；那是我得靠自己發掘的事。」 Chinua Achebe
英國設計師 Priya Ahluwalia 再一次地透過自身文化來闡述時裝理念。2021年的六月，倫敦時裝週正如火如荼地發表春夏2022的最新時裝。男裝品牌 Ahluwalia 不僅首次推出女裝，設計師Priya 更獲得BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund 獎項。新一代的鬼才設計師說不定已經悄悄地在亂世中誕生。
Ahluwalia 的春夏2022時裝攜手 Mulberry，打造這個英國時裝品牌的首次女裝系列。Ahluwalia 將 Mulberry 的經典包款 Portobello 重新打造出不同尺寸，更推出了四款聯名圍巾。整場秀婉如英國國旗 Union Jack 一樣，層層堆疊出濃厚的大英國協文化底蘊。
歷史永遠不會被遺忘
男裝一直都是Ahluwalia 的主力，也是Priya 的標誌性商品。擁有加勒比海血統的她，曾在2020年推出關於「家」的男裝系列。目的就是要透過時裝提醒「不要忘記自己從何而來」。
今年Ahluwalia 則是向阿福頭（Afro）致敬，將60與70年代黑人為了自由的交織出的文化致意。蠟藍色(Baby Blue)、米色、以及棕色都是那個年代的代表色。此外，剪裁上也充斥著濃厚的年代感，儘管模特兒沒有真的留著阿福頭，但是透過Priya 的設計，宛如將她想傳達的理念將歷史課本中活生生地拉了出來。
若對這個故事與文化背景不熟悉，那麼今年BAFTA 最大贏家小斧頭（Small Axe）則可以為你好好上一堂文化歷史課。
“Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am - and
what I need - is something I have to find out myself.”
― Chinua Achebe
British designer Priya Ahluwalia once again explained the concept of fashion through history. In June 2021, London Fashion Week is in full swing to announce the latest fashions for Spring and Summer 2022. Ahluwalia launched womenswear for the first time, but designer Priya also won the BFC/GQ Designer Menswear Fund. A new generation of talented designers may have been quietly crowned this year.
Ahluwalia's Spring/Summer 2022 fashion teamed up with Mulberry to create the British fashion brand's first women's collection. Ahluwalia recreated Mulberry's classic bag Portobello in different sizes and launched four designed scarves. The collaboration is as graceful as the Union Jack, with a strong cultural heritage of the Great Britain Association.
History will never be forgotten
Men's clothing has always been the iconic design of Ahluwalia. With Priya's Caribbean descent, she launched a menswear collection about "Family" in 2020. The purpose is to remind "don't forget where you came from" through fashion.
This year, Ahluwalia pays tribute to Afro, paying tribute to the cultural interweaving of blacks in the 60s and 70s for liberation. Baby Blue, beige, and brown are the representative colours of that era. In addition, the tailoring is also full of a strong sense of culture. Although the model does not really have Afro, Priya's design seems to be alive from the history textbook that she wants to convey the concept.
If you are not familiar with the story and cultural background, then this year's BAFTA's biggest winner, Small Axe, can give you a good cultural history lesson.
