Ashish fuk@lfw s/s 08

Ashish's studio is based in west London but all of his production takes place in India - to manufacture clothes of this quality with so much hand stitching would be prohibitively expensive in the UK. This season, Ashish sets out his stall clearly in his press release. His woman is an 'anti-heroine' who has got "a wardrobe pillaged from her mother mixed with favourite pieces from various boyfriends" and boy, in true Ashish signature style, does she sparkle.

If you only have one piece of Ashish in your wardrobe, you've got a fail-safe knock-'em-dead outfit, even if it's just a 'top' because Ashsh delivers a bucketload of glamour in every piece. For ss08 his demure offerings include a fabulously light oversized shirt dress with tulip sleeves and large side pockets, a boxy cream jacket that hangs loose and is teamed with a white sequin top and printed brown and yellow trousers, and a dramatic floor-length shirt dress which he teams with a metallic brown jacket.

Some classic Ashish pieces on offer include an oversized sequin bomber jacket in patches of pink, black and gold, a black bronze and silver mini dress, a silver full-length kaftan frock and a blinding silver and gold cap sleeve dress. Can't fault the styling here as Ashish simply blends this all with practical white brogues (his woman needs to be able to jump on her bike and make a quick escape).

This is a beautiful collection which balances practicality (Ashish includes pockets even on his most glam pieces) with great technique and colour perfectly.

www.ashish.co.uk

Words: Marian Buckley
Photos: Ian Gillett