3 weeks ago
British-Asian Designers Redefine the High Street Fashion Aesthetic
Fashion designers from British-Asian families are changing what clothes look like in shops.
In the past, Asian-inspired clothes were mostly for special occasions like weddings.
Now designers like Margaret Sam, Priya Ahluwalia, Supriya Lele and Osman Yousefzada are making everyday clothes with Asian influences.
They make things like work jackets, party dresses and sportswear.
One designer, Margaret Sam, makes clothes inspired by Asian sailors from the 1940s.
Another designer, called Harri, made a funny inflatable suit for singer Sam Smith.
A brand called Raishma sells pretty embroidered dresses in big shops like John Lewis.
These designers want people to see British-Asian style as normal and modern, not strange or unusual.
That is why many people now wear clothes that mix British and Asian ideas together.
It feels fresh, fun and made for everyone.
A new generation of British-Asian designers, including Priya Ahluwalia, Supriya Lele, Osman Yousefzada and Margaret Sam, is redefining the high street aesthetic.
Margaret Sam's label Sum London gained attention in 2025 for a workwear collection inspired by Asian sailors in the 1940s.
Sum London held its spring-summer 2025 runway show at The Museum of the Home in Shoreditch and expanded with a female and gender-neutral range.
Harikrishnan Pillai, known by his label HARRI, crafted Sam Smith's inflatable latex suit for the 2023 BRIT Awards.
Raishma's zardozi-embroidered fusion dresses have become a success at high street retailers including John Lewis and Next.
- Who
- British-Asian fashion designers including Margaret Sam, Priya Ahluwalia, Supriya Lele, Osman Yousefzada, Harikrishnan Pillai and Raishma.
- What
- A new wave of designers is embedding British-Asian identity into everyday high street styles, moving past the notion of novelty fusion wear.
- Where
- London, including Fitzrovia and Shoreditch, and UK high street retailers such as John Lewis and Next.
- When
- The article focuses on the last few years, with Sum London's workwear drawing attention in 2025, HARRI's BRIT Awards moment in 2023, and earlier breakthroughs dating to the early 2000s.
- Why
- To shed the cliché that South and East Asian design is only for formal occasions and bridalwear, celebrating mixed cultural heritage in modern, accessible styles.
Key facts
- Headline designers
- Priya Ahluwalia, Supriya Lele, Osman Yousefzada, Margaret Sam, Harikrishnan Pillai, Raishma
- Sum London inspiration
- Workwear collection inspired by Asian sailors in the 1940s
- Sum London 2025 show venue
- The Museum of the Home, Shoreditch
- Raishma retail partners
- John Lewis and Next
- HARRI signature moment
- Sam Smith's inflatable latex suit at the 2023 BRIT Awards
- Notable recognition
- Supriya Lele is a recipient of the LVMH Prize Fund
- Ahluwalia collaborations
- PUMA and ASOS
- Ahluwalia heritage
- Indian-Nigerian, drawing on vintage London terrace culture
Quotes
Margaret Sam
Founder and designer of Sum London
“"speaks to the Asian diaspora and London’s melting pot"”
easterneye.biz
Sources
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