August 1, 2022 |
It’s been four years since the serendipitous birth of Ahluwalia – two of which the highly decorated namesake designer spent locked up in a self-isolated studio out of Covid’s line of fire. In that time, founder Priya Ahluwalia has become something of a movie maestro. By the time she unveiled of her AW22 ready-to-wear collection, dubbed From Nollywood to Bollywood, she had already made five films, one of which premiered as part of the inaugural GucciFest. “I love how film has the power to connect to its audiences, transport them and drive emotional engagement,” said the designer in a statement.
Ahluwalia took her love for the silver screen up a notch this past Saturday when she unveiled Beloved, her directorial debut. In a mini film-festival at the White City branch of Soho House – which included an Ahluwalia pop-up shop and dancehall stylings courtesy of Girls Can’t DJ – the single-day fiesta indulged in the past, present and future of the creative director’s bicultural identity as a descendent of Indian-Nigerian heritage with roots in London. There was also an intimate discussion traversing themes of representation and identity in film, with host and MC, Miss Jason.
Devised with Ridley Scott’s Creative Group, Beloved is a Black Dog Films production. The ephemeral motion picture is an effervescent and joyful depiction of human connection and honest love. A mother and daughter stand in billowing lavender fields; a man and wife embrace; a pair of friends, or perhaps brothers, find laughter over a meal. At its most authentic and far-removed from a European gaze, Ahluwalia subverts the nuances of contemporary film. “Beloved is a multifaceted display of Black and Brown love stories,” Ahluwalia said. “An ode to the visualisation of love stories we love to watch in Bollywood and Nollywood cinema but rarely get to enjoy in western media.”
