Ganni collaborates with Priya Ahluwalia

Danish fashion brand Ganni has unveiled a collaboration with London-based designer and LVMH 2020 finalist Priya Ahluwalia and her eponymous label Ahluwalia on an upcycled collection.

The ready-to-wear collection marks Ahluwalia’s debut womenswear range and is the first of two collaborations to launch in 2021 with Ganni, with the follow-up expected in the autumn.

Launching on April 23, the 19-piece collection fuses Ahluwalia’s Indian-Nigerian dual heritage and London roots with Ganni’s Scandi 2.0 sense of style and utilises Ganni’s deadstock fabrics.

In a press release, both brands explain that the collaboration was born “with the intention to create something beautiful out of the hardship of the pandemic,” and that the pieces were designed with circularity in mind.

The collection reworks deadstock fabric and leftover styles from Ganni’s 2020 productions that didn’t sell during the lockdown. Ahluwalia worked with Ditte Reffstrup, creative director at Ganni, to transform well-known Ganni silhouettes with Ahluwalia’s signature 90s touch to give the previous designs new life.

Commenting on collaborating with Ganni, Ahluwalia said in a statement: “I’m really excited about Ahluwalia’s first official venture into womenswear and I’m so glad it is with Ganni. Since the moment I met the Ganni team, especially Ditte, I have felt excited about what was possible.

“When I started my research for the collection, I thought about both Ganni’s and my own love of a good party. I looked at photography from the UK garage scene as well as photos from my own personal history and culture and wanted to create clothing that women will feel sexy and strong in whilst on the dance-floor, whether at a club or at home.”

Priya Ahluwalia unveils first womenswear collection with Ganni

The Ganni x Ahluwalia collection will be exclusive to the Danish fashion label’s stores and e-commerce and includes dresses, jackets, jumpsuits, two-piece sets, and shirts. Prices ranging from 75 pounds / 89 euros / 100 US dollars to 1,090 pounds / 1,199 euros / 1,350 US dollars.

Ahluwalia added: “It’s been such a successful and enjoyable experience and to be trusted to design the collection using Ganni’s liability materials was something that was very important to the design process. The project has been great in showing how leftover materials can be totally transformed and are worth cherishing.”

Reffstrup said: “Priya’s work is so forward-thinking yet it’s so connected to her roots. I can’t wait for our community to see this collaboration. It’s been cooking up for well over a year. I love how Priya’s designs take inspiration from the tradition of passing clothes through families and between friends, paying tribute to her family’s heritage.

“When she started out creating, her main dogma was that she wanted to work with existing clothes and fabrics. The reworking of our past-season prints is so beautiful and fresh. I love the unexpected patchwork patterns. It’s a complete print remix. I am honoured to have Priya design her first womenswear pieces exclusively for Ganni.”

The Ganni x Ahluwalia collection is available exclusively at Ganni stores and online from April 23.