DISCOVER THE SOUTH ASIAN WEDDING COLLECTION

ICYMI, the second drop of our South Asian Wedding Collection has landed! The idea originally came from ASOS Senior Assistant Merchandiser Kishan, who saw an opportunity for us to better represent our customers and all the occasions they attend. For this drop, we consulted our South Asian Sounding Board (a group of ASOSers of South Asian heritage), who had input on everything from the design and the model selection to the shoot. We also worked with two exciting new South Asian brands. Scroll to find out more...

Our South Asian Sounding Board initially consulted on the design of the collection, reviewing samples to make sure colour choices, embellishments and prints were culturally relevant. They also suggested ways to make the designs big hitters in the style stakes. The result? Some seriously extra looks, like embellished lehengas with plenty of ‘wow’ factor.

Although weddings were the original inspo for the collection, Entry Merchandising Administrator Taran (a member of the Sounding Board) sees the designs as more than wedding wear – ‘it’s South Asian occasionwear’. For Taran, it was crucial for the looks to bring all the energy (and style) you’d want when ‘celebrating Eid, Diwali, or any other occasion’. South Asian celebrations are all about ‘going all-out with full-on glam and full-on fashion – and the bold colours symbolise that’, he said. However, if you’re all about keeping it more low-key, dw. We brought the exciting brand Kanya London on board to ensure there were simple, silky pieces on offer, too – including lots of options for those who want to dress modestly.

The proudest moment for Geeta, a Senior Merchandising Assistant and Sounding Board member, was onboarding the South Asian-owned brand, Kanya London (coming soon), and helping Maya (a South Asian brand already on site) in developing even more gorgeous wedding wear. For Geeta, 'it’s important to make sure South Asians are being represented in mainstream culture, whether that’s through brand launches, fashion or styling – and ASOS is a great platform to showcase their talent'. Make sure you check out both brands, serving up beautiful pieces (including traditional lehengas and saris) which are perfect for your next big occasion.

Once the brands and designs were chosen, the next step was the shoot. For Radha-Rani (an ASOS Stylist, Sounding Board member AND the creative mastermind behind the shoot), model selection was key. She and other Sounding Board members wanted to properly represent the South Asian diaspora, and all the different skin tones within it. They also wanted to show the spirit of celebration through the models’ movements – which is why the images are purrrre vibes.

 

Naturally, she’s very proud of the results: ‘I feel like I’ve brought “home” to ASOS,’ says Radha-Rani. ‘I love that I can use my styling to inspire and educate for a positive change.’ The rest of the team are also super proud of how the collection turned out. Taran loved that combining his culture and his passion (fashion, obvs) has led to him ‘seeing what my friends, aunties and mum wear to events on a huge platform like ASOS. I’m speechless!’

Scroll through the collection below (plus, there's even more dropping soon!). And if you’d like to learn about our wider Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work at ASOS, take a look at our Fashion with Integrity report.