The New Darling of London Fashion Week
By Nina Patel

Asish Gupta, 29, was the darling of London's Fashion Week two weeks ago when he unveiled a colorful, daring, and surprisingly confident Spring collection. Gupta, who has homes in Toronto, New Dehli and New York, was born in India and then went to study fashion at Central St.Martins in UK.

By mixing bright colors that drew inspiration from India and Africa and having sequeins and embroideries especially stiched in India, Gupta brought a hot vibe to the London catwalk and won rave reviews by fashion critics all over the world. Cheerful, flashy orange and green dresses with scissor embroidery were coupled with printed tights in a collection said to be inspired by the Joan Collins’ Dynasty character, Alexis Carrington, neon billboards and Nigeria. What really captured the imagination of the fashionistas and avant-garde arbiters of style was the genuine sense of humor that pervaded all the clothes.

	Ashish Runway Pictures
	Central St.Martin's School of Design

Sarah Mower of Style.com describes Gupta's collection as: "Call it Pop African with a sprinkling of Bollywood glitter. Then throw in a bit of vintage Americana, and you're nearly there."

Ashish has been making waves slowly but steadily over the last few years. Hollywood stylist Phillip Bloch, who dresses the likes of Halle Berry, fell in love with Gupta's 2004 fall-winter collection hown at Toronto Fashion Week. One of his dresses was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the "Sex and the City", Jerry Hall comes to see his clothes, and celebrities like Elizabeth Jagger and Sharon Stone have been seen toting his clothes. In fact, Gupta was named one of the New Generation designers by the British Fashion Council.

But without doubt, it was the unflinching nod of approval from everyone who matters at this year's London show that cemented Ashish Gupta of "Ashish" as someone fresh who promises to be around for some time.