Ahluwalia presented its Spring Summer 2027 collection, Revel, at Rosewood London during London Fashion Week. Creative Director Priya Ahluwalia approaches joy as a form of resistance, using optimism, community and collective care to guide the season.
SPRING SUMMER 2027
The collection began with research into resistance movements. Its direction shifted when Ahluwalia encountered photographs of former Black Panther members at home, away from their public roles and daily political activity. These images introduced another view of resistance through rest, care and private life. Ahluwalia developed the idea of self-care as a collective barrier, supported by small gestures of kindness that connect communities and sustain hope.
FESTAC ’77 provided another major reference. The pan-African festival brought music and art to Lagos, giving Ahluwalia a historical example of gathering as a radical act. Music runs throughout Revel, from the polyrhythms of Fela Kuti to Mumbai’s underground rap scene, connecting the collection with forms of cultural expression linked to resistance and community.
Draping takes a new direction this season. Previous Ahluwalia collections pulled fabric inward and close to the body. For Spring Summer 2027, fabric extends outward and creates volume. Works by Rob Emke and Sinni Villi informed several silhouettes, including a low-back puffball top and voluminous dresses. These forms explore physical space through shape while maintaining the softness that runs throughout the collection.
Water-resistant fabrics and heavy contrast topstitching introduce protective qualities. Embossed and debossed surfaces and etched textures reference posters and archival documents. Mohair and jacquard knits feature motifs taken from a tiled staircase visible in an off-duty photograph, connecting the clothes with scenes of domestic life. Organza layers appear throughout the menswear and womenswear.
Outerwear, tailoring, denim and knitwear continue as key categories. Leather jackets reference the hardware and construction of 1970s designs. Ahluwalia also develops fringing through a men’s tuxedo top and mini dresses with fringe knitted directly into their construction. Lee Bontecou’s lithographs informed the rippling forms and their relationship with physical expression.
Branding remains discreet. Tonal embroidered badges become visible only at close range. Ahluwalia developed the colour palette through combinations found in the Pan-African palette of Kerry James Marshall and works by Nigerian modernists including Ben Enwonwu and Tayo Adenaike. Cream and brown provide the collection’s warmer shades, joined by flashes of red, blue and green.
The Ahluwalia x PUMA partnership continues with an extended ready-to-wear offering. Pieces include a reworked T7 track jacket, knitted football tops with tonal jacquard trims and long knitted dresses featuring engineered fringe. The collaboration also introduces two trainers: an exclusive Ahluwalia Speedcat in primary colourways and a new silhouette offered in black and black with silver.
Ahluwalia also collaborated with poppi on limited-edition bag charms inspired by the brand’s colour palette. Artisans hand-strung glass and precious stone beads inspired by poppi flavours, with the charms attached to belts throughout the runway styling.
Inside Rosewood London, Ahluwalia collaborated with Calico Wallpaper on Estuary, a bespoke mural inspired by water and the cultures it connects. The project marks Ahluwalia’s first work with wallcoverings and extends the visual language of Revel into the show environment.
