THE MAN WITH A PLAN....

ASHISH
For those who believe fashion to be a whimsical fancy, a spectacle which functions no deeper than satis-
fying and reflecting our narcissistic egos, a reassuring glimpse towards designer Ashish’s collections may
make you think again.Talking frankly about everything from his love of American pop culture to his mar-
keting process, Ashish reveals why fashion on the runways will always have an intrinsic link with everyday
society and life…
ON HIGH FASHION AND YOU... twist: be this the addition of sequins, statement slogans or
altered cuts.
Blink and you might miss it. A shimmy of clothes being pa-
raded down the catwalk in typical Ashish-style, with his ON KEEPING THE BRAND RELEVANT...
hallmark sequins sewn in so intricately that it is often hard
to notice what the garment is made of until you feel the Although he is sure that he will never stop using sequins,
perfect craftsmanship of the piece in front of you. Don’t be Ashish keeps the
blinded by the glitz and glamour of his collections though, or label from getting
even by the designer’s own admission that “fashion should stale by ensuring
be fun, camp and dirty”. What is inspiring about Ashish is his clothes are
that, beneath the guise of his colour-texture combinations commercially rel-
that help transport us into an alterior world of the sequined evant and will sell.
make-believe, lie inspirations based on the experiences of This, surely, is not
the everyday individual: you. just art for art’s
sake. Describing
ON HIS INSPIRATIONS... his creative pro-
cess as imagin-
Although he is inspired by everything, from films to street ing a certain type
fashion, there is no denying the ‘American’ theme running of character and
through the majority of Ashish’s pieces. His S/S 2011 col- dressing her in
lection is a homage to the ‘Cowboys and Indians’ of the his head, Ashish
West, the latest fantasy to emerge from what he lightly dubs connects with the
as his ‘obsession’ with American pop culture and Holly- everyday wom-
wood. From cowboy boots bearing the McDonald’s logo to an through his
trucker hats with feathers and checked shirts, Ashish credits awareness of basic ‘Cowboys and Indians’ from the S/S 2011
the emergence of this motif as hailing from his childhood human wants and collection
in India. Then, it was a “fantasy and a dream for someone desires: “I always
growing up in India but not having lived there (in America)”. make sure I have a few sexy dresses in my collections, as
The bold colours and sharp con- well as a sporty element and over the top
trasts in Ashish’s work really are
an aesthetic masterpiece, and so it “FASHION SHOULD pieces because I dress lots of celebrities.
I’ve got different kinds of customers and
is perhaps easy to miss that col- BE FUN, CAMP AND so I always think if I’ve covered all those
lections such as these create an areas. You always need to think of who
essential touching point with the DIRTY!” is going to buy the pieces, because if no
everyday consumer. In contrast to one is going to buy them then there is no
something like an Alexander McQueen show which might point making them.”
be highly sublime, Ashish’s innovative take on traditional
items of clothing continues to keep him fresh amidst the ON THE WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF FASH-
swarms of designers clawing their way to make the most ab- ION...
stract fashion statement possible. Taking traditional patterns
and even moving into the realm of sportswear (the designer Ashish’s collections indulge our need for extravagance whilst
has collaborated with Nike to create sequined versions of subtly pointing to the impact of current issues. His S/S 2010
the ‘Just Do It’ t-shirts), Ashish can transform a garment collection for example, inspired by the idea of a girl winning
into something that anyone might wear, albeit with a special a luxury holiday, presents clothes emblazoned with bright
 images and prints of faraway places and tropical dreams. At a
time when the recession was and is still a very current topic,
it is collections such as these which are cathartic enough
to provide the consumer with precious day-dreams away
from the financial turmoil, whilst highlighting the versatility Remember this? Cheryl Cole in
Ashish for the ‘Fight for this Love’
of fashion to respond as a medium to our everyday crises. video
Ashish has proved himself not only on the grounds of his
designs and celebrity followers (including Cheryl Cole and
MIA), but more importantly, as a designer whose clothes ini-
tiate a relevant dialogue about high fashion and its position
in relation to the everyday consumer.

The ‘Fast Food boots’

from Ashish’s S/S 2011
collection
Katy Perry looks like a true Cali-
fornia Girl in this cut-out sequin
blue Ashish dress at the 2010
Much Music Video Awards

Paloma Faith does retro

chic cool in this stunning
“YOU ALWAYS NEED TO THINK OF Ashish outfit

WHO IS GOING TO BUY THE PIEC-

ES, BECAUSE IF NO ONE IS GO-
ING TO BUY THEM THERE IS NO
POINT MAKING THEM”

MIA doesn’t loose her flam-

boyant style in a glitteringly
glamorous Ashish number

The S/S 2010 collection inspired by a luxury holiday prize