ASOS’s second South Asian clothing capsule
Skye Iysa Kara modelling the ASOS DESIGN crystal embellished lehenga set in grey (previous release)
now before we get into the second release, let’s clear a few things up about the first release..
designed alongside our Creative Director, Kishan Kerai, the collection had consistent South Asian representation from start, to the almost end of the process
Interracial weddings, and the mixing of two-or-more cultures at weddings, has become less taboo in recent years (which we absolutely love to see!) - and with these blending of cultures comes blending of religious ceremonies.
let’s be blunt, think about it - where are Caucasian members of a family meant to find culturally appropriate clothing to wear to a South Asian wedding ceremony? do we really expect everyone in the UK to know places like Southall and Green Street exist? do we think countries worldwide have well known stores and streets like those easily accessible?
the truth is - the international online South Asian market is scarce, there aren’t a lot of convenient & easy places to shop for a single kurta or lehenga skirt
so having them on a platform that is easily accessible for all, with free returns and extended size ranges, could not be more convenient, something the South Asian fashion market needs more of..
Earl Corderio modelling the ASOS DESIGN hand embellished kurta in black (previous release)
why not have South Asian brands on ASOS?
Maya is already an incredible South Asian owned brand thriving on ASOS, but it’s not as simple as you think throwing a few things onto a worldwide platform, it takes months upon months of planning - but trust us, there are more coming, later 2022..
clearing up some drama from last year..
a lot of comments called out ASOS’s attempt at this South Asian occasion wear as “boho festival fashion” (quote: Brown Girl Mag) - however no piece in the collection was labelled as such..
furthermore, a lot of international articles were quick to throw the term “appropriation” - which this collection was far from; the origins, craft & fabrications were all educated to the designers - with Kishan overseeing everything as a student of South Asian fashion himself
the last collection was modelled on the incredible duo Skye Iysa Kara & Earl Cordeiro - who, both originating from India, have been modelling within the ASOS family for almost 2 years now, and the shoot was styled in-house by ASOS’s finest Radha-Rani - although this team seemed small at the time, their voices were powerful..
fast forward to drop 2 - a larger team of South Asian talent within ASOS now in place, they’ve curated the collection with new colours and prints from the best selling pieces last year, all will be a staggered launch throughout the Summer season, to ensure there’s always something available for that last minute panic
we’re obsessed with the combinations of Pastels and Brights, which suit the themes of many functions and palettes of this century’s biggest wedding season
remember to read the full description for more info about how the range came about, a small excerpt: “One of our ASOSers, who is South Asian, suggested we create more pieces like this, so we can make sure we’re offering the best fashion for a variety of occasions.” - there’s also a style feed article being released over the weekend on asos.com for more info and sneak peeks..
Styled by: Radha-Rani - who visited independent stores in Southall to purchase all the accessories to style together this shoot and bring the collection to life. Radha also reached out to small business owner Simmi Mehndi, who worked her mehndi magic on our models hands to bring to life the wedding experience in the ASOS studio
Models: Tulsi Shivanand, Vaibhav Vilath, Dinesh Gillela, Robin Shrestha
we think it’s great ASOS continue to expand their occasionwear offering by including cultural garments, and making them accessible with ease, both with their extensive size ranges and incredible returns and delivery prepositions - what are your thoughts?