U.K. fashion brand Ahluwalia unveiled its first shoe collection during its fall 2023 runway show at London Fashion Week on Saturday.
After eight months of development, the label debuted a 11-piece shoe collection in multiple colorways for both men and women ranging from loafers and boots for men and strappy heels and mules for women.
For women, a standout model is the “A Wedge,” which features a stylized letter “A” serving as the heel of the shoe. “This ‘A’ heel will be the key to our shoes moving forward as we continue to develop more styles,” founder and creative director Priya Ahluwalia told FN in a pre-show virtual meeting. “I’m really excited about this heel; it took a long time to develop and I’m happy with how it turned out.”
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Ahluwalia, who often references her Nigerian and Indian roots in her collections, carries this design method over into the new shoe category. “I wanted to celebrate different cultural references that are relevant to me,” the designer said. “So, I looked at a lot of Indian and Nigerian footwear, and not just classic ones, but also styles that immigrants often wear when coming to the U.K.”
Some of the other heels used throughout the women’s line reference the shape of an afro pick, as seen used in the “Raga Mule” and “Chikari Boot,” while the “Tabali” men’s boot references a square-shaped shoe her dad wears frequently that are largely popular in Lagos, Nigeria.
The designer, who is producing the footwear line in Portugal, also mentioned the collection’s use of sustainably sourced leathers. According to Ahluwalia, all of the leather suppliers have undergone an audit with LWG (Leather Working Group) and are all approved, with two achieving gold standard certifications.
As for the retail rollout, Ahluwalia told FN that the collection will drop on her website as well a limited number of retail partners. Retail prices for the footwear range from $470 to $1,200.