British-Asian fashion on the high street is not a new sight. You can go back to the early 2000s when Delhi-born Ashish Gupta broke into the mainstream through his collaboration with Topshop. But an influx of contemporary designers over the last few years, like Priya Ahluwalia, Supriya Lele, Osman Yousefzada and Margaret Sam, are changing perceptions. No longer can the aesthetic be considered novelty fusion wear. This new generation is embedding a lived-in British-Asian experience into everyday styles.
Indeed, Sam’s label, Sum London, caught the attention in 2025 for its unique workwear collection that took inspiration from Asian sailors in the 1940s. The brand has focused on utilitarian menswear that, says the designer, “speaks to the Asian diaspora” as well as “London’s melting pot” of cultural identities.
Sam’s work has gained traction over the last year through smart marketing campaigns following the opening of the company’s e-commerce shop. Similar to other web-based brands like, for example, food delivery companies offering established users discounts on orders, or iGaming platforms inviting first-time customers to sign up for exclusive bingo offers to use 40 free spins on select games, Sum London has sought to attract a new audience through digital-only incentives. Joining its online community provides access to exclusives like brand launches and priority on pre-orders for limited edition pieces, for instance.
Elsewhere, it has carried out experiential pop-up events including a British-Asian living space in Fitzrovia, while holding its spring-summer 2025 runway show at The Museum of the Home in Shoreditch to better reflect the label’s sense of everyday identity. This has helped the brand enjoy growth in the last 12 months, helped by the development of a female and gender-neutral range, including its Horse Face Skirt and Pleated Horse Face Skort in unwashed denim.
A New Era for British-Asian Style
Sum London is not the only fashion label to be resetting British-Asian fashion on the high street. The new wave is determined to shed the old cliché that South and East Asian designs are solely for the purpose of formal, one-off occasions and bridalwear. Instead, the likes of Raishma and Harikrishnan Pillai are pushing authentic diaspora perspectives into the mainstream.
Raishma, for example, is a label that has seen its mix of traditional zardozi hand-embroidery and high street accessibility become a success at retailers like John Lewis and Next. While leaning into the traditions of Asian eveningwear, the brand’s fusion dresses and embellished gowns have transitioned formal styles into leisure outfits that are far more casual and relaxed.
Of course, Pillai, better known by his label HARRI, turned heads when he crafted Sam Smith’s headline-grabbing inflatable latex suit for the BRIT Awards in 2023. But, more importantly, the Kerala-born designer, who applies South Indian woodturning techniques to his avant-garde menswear, has influenced street culture, best exemplified in the high street’s oversized t-shirts and extreme wide-leg cargo pants.
Others, like Supriya Lele, a recipient of the prestigious LVMH Prize Fund, have reimagined the traditional saree for a Western audience, turning sartorial codes into modern partywear. Priya Ahluwalia has brought a whole new vibe to sportswear with her Indian-Nigerian heritage drawing on vintage London terrace culture. She’s enjoyed particular success through collaborations with PUMA and ASOS. And Osman Yousefzada, the British-Pakistani designer, has turned high-concept, Savile-Row tailoring into a widely praised, high-street savvy collaboration with John Lewis.
From Cultural Niche to Mainstream Mainstay
What today’s crop of British-Asian designers is doing is reshaping the narrative around fusionwear. By weaving authentic diaspora identity into everyday high street styles, they have successfully moved past the clichés without ignoring traditions, to celebrate mixed cultural heritage in a way that feels modern and accessible.
