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Ahluwalia FW26 Explores Friendship Through ‘Birds of a Feather’

Braided denim, sculpted tailoring, and embroidered feathers translate kinship into structured and expressive garments.

Ahluwalia Fall Winter 2026
Photo © Zach Apo-Tsang, Courtesy of Ahluwalia

Ahluwalia introduces Fall Winter 2026 under the title Birds of a Feather, referencing a phrase Creative Director Priya Ahluwalia heard throughout her childhood. The collection focuses on friendship, chosen family, and communities shaped through shared experience. Following Spring Summer 2026 Affinity, the season turns toward platonic relationships and the everyday structures of care that sustain them.

FALL WINTER 2026.27

Research began with traditions grounded in collective participation. Quilting circles, craft groups, and team sports informed the structural logic of the garments. These activities introduced visual patterns rooted in repetition and coordination. Cultural references, including books and films such as All We Imagine as Light, guided the conceptual framework. Ahluwalia also examined the work of Nigerian and Indian artists who explore interpersonal relationships, using these perspectives to shape motif development and garment construction.

Ahluwalia Fall Winter 2026
Photo © Zach Apo-Tsang, Courtesy of Ahluwalia
Photo © Zach Apo-Tsang, Courtesy of Ahluwalia

Symbols associated with friendship appear across the collection. Friendship bracelets provided a key reference point and expanded into prints, braided satin trims, and sculptural garment elements. Braided denim introduced dimensional structure, while tailored pieces incorporated layered construction that echoed interlacing techniques. Embroidered feather motifs appear throughout the collection, representing individuals moving together within shared systems.

Wool suiting incorporates devoré textures that introduce layered surface depth. Laser-treated and braided denim expands the visual vocabulary through controlled pattern and texture. Relaxed utility silhouettes appear alongside knitwear and outerwear constructed from recycled and organic fibers.

Ahluwalia Fall Winter 2026
Photo © Zach Apo-Tsang, Courtesy of Ahluwalia

More than 80 percent of fabrics come from responsible sources, including recycled polyester, recycled cotton denim, organic cotton, merino wool, viscose, and TENCEL. Ahluwalia continues to integrate deadstock fabrics across tailoring and shirting, maintaining continuity with previous seasons.

Photo © Zach Apo-Tsang, Courtesy of Ahluwalia

The Fall Winter 2026 lookbook emerged through collaboration with photographer Zach Apo-Tsang. Working closely with Ahluwalia, Apo-Tsang created imagery that reflects intimacy and closeness. Stylist Nell Kalonji defined silhouette and proportion, clarifying the collection’s structural and material direction through focused styling.

Discover Full Collection on DSCENE

The season also introduces an early preview of the next PUMA x Ahluwalia release. The VS-1 trainer appears in two colorways and draws from grassroots football and fan culture. Braided construction, layered tailoring, and symbolic embroidery define garments shaped by connection and shared networks, translating interpersonal bonds into physical form.

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Written by Jana Kostic

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