Ashish Gupta Returns to Central Saint Martins for 25-Look Spring 2027 Collection

Ashish Gupta shot his Spring 2027 ready-to-wear lookbook inside the halls, corridors, studios and library of Central Saint Martins in London, timing the shoot to the week new fashion students queued to enroll. The collection comprises 25 looks, one for each year since he began, each carrying a message. Gupta, who studied advertising in India before moving to London, graduated from the CSM MA class of 2000 under the late Professor Louise Wilson OBE; current MA tutor Fabio Piras welcomed him back to use the studio. This season his slogans appeared on hand-written placards rather than T-shirts, saluting students and protest movements worldwide, with phrases including "Libraries Not Data Centres," "Put Smart People in Charge," "It's a Dress Not a Yes," "One of my best friends is Straight," and "UK Garage Not UK Farage," the last addressing the rise of the far right in Britain. Gupta said the references are coded: a leopard trouser suit stands for Jane Fonda protesting the Vietnam war, and some photos show a model carrying pots and pans used by street protesters. He described the global moment as a move toward fascism and a dark, unhopeful time. The brand's multicolored, sequin-spangled output has been produced in London for years, with every piece — including what appears to be crochet or argyle knit — made by artisans in the Ashish atelier in New Delhi, prompting the placard "A Handmade Tale."