February 27, 2026 |
For AW26, Ahluwalia unveils Birds of a Feather – a celebratory collection revolving around friendship, chosen family and the people who show up. Creative director Priya Ahluwalia continuously draws inspiration from and is driven by collectivity – whether it be found within craft communities, team sports or even the film All We Imagine as Light (2024), which Ahluwalia herself has cited as a touchstone for solidarity. Balancing nostalgia with futurism, the collection reflects her Indian-Nigerian heritage whilst keeping the past and future in constant conversation. Sustainability continues to underline, with the collection made up of over 80 per cent responsibly sourced fibres.
Shot by Zach Apo-Tsang, the lookbook radiates the exact warmth initiated by the designer. Straight out of an oil painting, warm and nature-boasting tones of beige, emerald and tangerine swirl into hues of midnight blue, within a background of sunset casts. Amongst city skylines and mountainous peaks, silky satin is contrasted with bejewelled-trimmed raw denim. Transcending the boundaries of simply daywear or evening wear, Ahluwalia provides a collection that’ll adorn whatever state the day, or the wearer, finds itself in. Friendship bracelets are blown up to hold their own sculptural shapes within garments. Tailoring remains central to Ahluwalia’s design lingo, across both men’s and womenswear; with laser-cutting, wool suiting and sharp utilitarian silhouettes. Teased amongst these garments is her upcoming Puma collab, with the VS-1 trainer landing in two colourways later this year.
A direct nod to the phrase “Birds of a feather flock together”, which the designer recalls her mother saying, the collection is a reminder that navigating the world is a shared endeavour. Because it was never meant to be done alone.
Photography by Zach Apo-Tsang.
