Ahluwalia SS27: When Joy Becomes an Act of Resistance

For Spring/Summer 2027, Priya Ahluwalia turns to joy not as escapism, but as resistance. Presented at Rosewood London during London Fashion Week, ‘Revel’ considers optimism, community and self-care as forms of collective strength.

The collection’s starting point was more confrontational. Ahluwalia’s research into resistance movements shifted after encountering photographs of former Black Panther members at home and off duty. The contrast between resistance and rest became central: those fighting for change also need moments of care, connection and levity.

FESTAC ’77, the pan-African festival held in Lagos, provides another reference point. Music becomes integral to the collection, drawing from Fela Kuti’s polyrhythms and Mumbai’s underground rap scene.

For menswear, familiar Ahluwalia foundations remain intact: tailoring, outerwear, denim and knitwear. Draping takes on a new proportion, moving outward rather than drawing tightly around the body. Volume becomes a means of claiming space, while water-resistant fabrics and heavy contrast topstitching introduce a protective quality.

Leather jackets reference the hardware and construction of 1970s styles, while fringe appears in a new men’s tuxedo top. Organza brings a lighter counterpoint, cutting through the more structured elements of the collection. Tonal embroidered badges keep branding deliberately understated, only revealing themselves at close range.

The palette moves through creams and browns before sharper red, blue and green accents enter the mix, drawing from the Pan-African references of Kerry James Marshall and Nigerian modernists including Ben Enwonwu and Tayo Adenaike.

The Ahluwalia x PUMA partnership continues with a reworked T7 track jacket, knitted football tops and new footwear, including an exclusive Ahluwalia Speedcat in primary colourways and a new black-and-silver silhouette.

A limited-edition Ahluwalia x poppi bag charm collection adds hand-strung glass and precious stone beads to the runway looks, while a Calico Wallpaper collaboration brings ‘Estuary’ to the show space in a bespoke mural inspired by water and the landscapes it connects.