The impact of Brexit has definitely been portrayed and shown at this London Fashion week. With Brexit came racist hate crimes and attacks, which designer Ashish Gupta, an Indian immigrant has heard all about, "I know people who have been abused recently. It's very upsetting. You know, when Brexit happened, it was the first time in 20 years I felt that maybe I am unwelcome in the country I consider my home." For his Spring 2017 collection, he blended traditional Indian inspired pieces (like saris, salwars, lungis and sherwanis) with sports inspired pieces like t-shirts, track pants and denim basketball shorts, using the show to "celebrate Indian culture, because it is...such an integral part of British culture." His collection showed how proud he was of his background, and it was absolutely beautiful. The intricate embroidery and sequin work done in the pieces was exceptional and just so, so beautiful.
To round off the night, Ashish walked out wearing a shirt that simply said, 'immigrant'.
I'm going to of course show my highlights of the collection, and the first look is one of my favourites. The skirt is obviously beautiful, and I Love the sequin tshirt.
You all know how much I love roses so I had to include this look. Not only does the sheer, white shirt have roses, but the sequin covered denim pants are embroidered with them as well. Oh and the model walked out holding a bunch of roses, which was amazing. Though the pants are probably a bit too out there for me (they are amazing though), I can totally see myself wearing the shirt.
This dress is just beautiful. The colour, the beaded details, it's gorgeous. I love the asymmetrical sleeves, with a tiny strap on one side and a flowing, floor length sleeve on the other.
There is a lot going on in this look, but I really love it. The matching embroidered denim is amazing and I need that jacket. My favourite pieces of the collection? Maybe?
More denim and more amazing embroidery work. I surprisingly love these shorts, the pattern and flowers are so pretty and add a feminine touch to a more masculine style. The white sequin shirt is also cool, and I love it paired with the shorts.
Oh my god the pants. I mean, the floral embroidery, the sequins, and look at the little detail running along the bottom. Amazing. I especially love the wide leg fit of them. Obviously the top is absolutely stunning, I can only imagine the work that would go into creating a piece like this. I also love the ruffle running across it that almost blends in to the piece.
Another beautiful piece decorated in sequins. The black/gold contrast makes the pattern of the sequins really pop and creates a really pretty shape. The mesh-like white is cool too and something I haven't really seen before so I love it!
Another obvious statement, but the jewellery and headpieces were beautiful as well, and it was so important and great that the majority of the models were people of colour, which isn't something we see much on the runway. There is a great lack of representation in fashion, so I'm glad that people like Ashish Gupta are doing something about it, while shining a light on their culture.
Lastly I want to say that if I have said anything wrong or that, to please let me know! Though I do try to be as aware as possible about racism and issues surrounding it, I am white so it's inevitable that I mess up!
