Ashish to collaborate with River Island

High street retailer River Island is stepping up its Design Forum collaborations for autumn/winter 2017 after announcing it would be teaming up with London Fashion Week favourite Ashish on a gender-neutral collection.

The River Island Design Forum has showcased capsules collections from emerging designers including Sibling, Eudon Choi, Katie Eary, Lou Dalton, Zoe Jordan, and Matthew Miller, however, unlike previous collections that have been separate menswear and womenswear edits, Ashish will be producing a 15-piece gender-neutral collection.

The designer brand is no stranger to a high street collaboration as it previously designed 10 successful collections with Topshop, which were always instant sell-outs, and River Island can be fairly confident that the same will happen for this playful and tongue-in-cheek take on loungewear, outerwear and dresses.

Ashish joins River Island Design Forum

Describing the line, Ashish Gupta, founder and creative director of Ashish said it is: "Something lazy and a bit dreamy,” and that he wanted to inject a sense of humour yet provide an easy-wear concept, adding "something relaxed enough to slouch around the house in, yet stylish enough to be taken out."

The 15-piece collection offers fridge-magnet alphabet sweaters and embroidered pyjamas featuring humorous slogans including “sick of all this chic” and “good in bed”, as well as a puffer coats inspired by a sleeping bag. There is also a nod to Ashish’s signature glamour in the firm of a sparkly slip dress.

The collection will launch alongside a short film, as part of the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Film initiative during London Fashion Week in September.

Ashish for River Island will be the retailer's penultimate design forum collaboration and prices will range from 30 to 180 pounds and will be exclusive to the retailer's website from September.

Sketches: courtesy of River Island