Amelia’s Magazine | Ashish: London Fashion Week A/W 2012 Catwalk Review

Ashish A/W 2012 by Catherine Meadows
Ashish A/W 2012 by Catherine Meadows.

This season Ashish turned to his roots for Bollywouldn’t, a collection which married the iconography of hippy India with late 80s rave culture, both style eras that have been repeatedly plundered by successive generations – one need only think of New Rave, that short lived phenomenon of just a few years ago. However, in the inimitable hands of Ashish, these styles have been reinvented once more, in a dusty meets fluoro palette of clashing logos and decorative decals.

Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish A/W 2012 by Catherine Meadows
Ashish A/W 2012 by Catherine Meadows.

Models wore elaborate beaded face jewellery based on traditional Indian jewellery, with the addition of the odd cut out CND logo. High crepe soled rainbow platforms riffed on Ashish‘s usual love of DM boots. Shapes were mainly slouchy, with relaxed cardigans and hoods piled on top of baggy pants. The omnipresent sequins were of course in effect, creating smiley face repeat patterns, garish paisleys or giant body hugging pink buddhas.

Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish A/W 2012 by Vicky Ink aka Vicky Fallon
Ashish A/W 2012 by Vicky Ink aka Vicky Fallon.

A clever two fingered slogan was repeated front and back, transferring its meaning in the event. Even a rainbow tie-dye design got the intricate sequinned treatment with Ashish. Hare Krishna style influenced ochre shirts were printed with deep red slogans: worn by boys hiding in cowl necked scarves. For women the same scarves came in dusky pinks and dove grey.

Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish A/W 2012 by Antonia Parker
Ashish A/W 2012 by Antonia Parker
Ashish A/W 2012 by Antonia Parker.

Ashish always accompanies his collections with an evocative piece of prose that describes his muse. This season ‘She travels light, but shops heavy… Some say she’s a hippie, but she denies it: her shopping chakra dictates otherwise.’ It seems that for A/W 2012 Ashish has his designer tongue wedged ever more firmly in his cheek, and, as ever, I love him for it. Predictably, there were so many pieces that I loved in this imaginative and witty collection.

Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish A/W 2012 by Sarah Jayne Draws
Ashish A/W 2012 by Sarah Jayne Draws.

Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
Ashish AW 2012 - photo by Amelia Gregory
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,A/W 2012, ,Antonia Parker, ,Ashish, ,Bollywouldn’t, ,Catherine Meadows, ,catwalk, ,CND, ,DMs, ,Hare Krishna, ,Hippy, ,India, ,London Fashion Week, ,New Rave, ,review, ,Sarah-Jayne Draws, ,Sequins, ,Somerset House, ,Vicky Fallon, ,Vicky Ink

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