Since launching in 2018, menswear brand Ahluwalia is quickly becoming a favourite of the fashion crowd, and now the brand’s designer Priya Ahluwalia is also a favourite of the crown. Winning the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design is the recent accolade in Ahluwalia’s growing list of recognitions – including BFC’s 2019/2020 NEWGEN initiative and the LVMH Prize 2020. The Queen Elizabeth II Award, previously given to Rosh Mahtani of Alighieri, Bethany Williams, and Richard Quinn, was presented to Ahluwalia by Sophie, Countess of Wessex on Tuesday, 23 February.

The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design recognises “the role the fashion industry plays in society and diplomacy and the movement of young designers that are both talented and making a difference to society through either sustainable practices or community engagement,” said the British Fashion Council in a press statement. “With sustainability and ethical practice always at the heart of the design process, Ahluwalia has been chosen for her focus on craftsmanship and community. Her sustainably minded menswear collections, made of dead stock and repurposed locally sourced vintage materials, combine elements and influences from her Nigerian and Indian heritage, making her designs truly unique. She is a progressive thinking leader and agent for change who has used her platform to raise awareness around the challenges of the Black community, especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.”