Aashni & Co Wedding Show 2018 captured by Asian Wedding Photography company Dash Photography at Somerset House in London in January 2018
If you follow us on social media, you probably heard that we recently announced an online sale to mark the second anniversary of our e-shop. For a brand that’s still fresh and young, this marked a big milestone for us! We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to reflect on our five years in the industry thus far.
The brand was born to celebrate South Asian fashion in the UK… and we’ve come a long way since then. Take a walk down memory lane as revisit our most cherished moments in our journey till date.
2012: AN IDEA IS BORN
Endless trips to India for her wedding shopping led founder and creative director, Aashni Shah, to conceptualise Aashni + Co. A former film student with no prior experience in fashion retail, it took Aashni seven months to bring her idea to life.
Ledbury Road in Notting Hill and Beauchamp Place in Kensington were shortlisted as contenders for the store location. Notting Hill won due to its quaint charm and cosy vibe. Rohit Bal was the first designer approached to stock at the store. The meeting took place in Noida, India in February, and the collection arrived in London within four months.
Doors opened on a crisp autumn morning on September 18, 2012, with collections by designers like Sabyasachi, Rahul Mishra, Rohit Bal, Pankaj & Nidhi and Gaurav Gupta to mark our launch. British singer Delilah performed at the event. Actor Dev Patel was our first celebrity customer.
2013: JUST THE BEGINNING
We hosted our first in-store trunk show with legendary designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, and the event was a massive hit. Renowned photographer Mariano Vivanco shot Aashni + Co’s Fall-Winter ’13 look book. Songstress and X Factor judge Dannii Minogue wore an Amit Aggarwal outfit from Aashni + Co on her album cover.
Dannii Minogue in Amit Aggarwal
2014: MAKING A MARK
Anushree Reddy became a bestseller on being introduced, with over 35 orders for a lehenga from her Lakmé Fashion Week collection.
Stalwart designer Tarun Tahiliani made his Aashni + Co debut the same year. The store was engaged to dress Cherie Blair and Samantha Cameron for Diwali, who wore Manish Malhotra and Anita Dongre respectively.
2015: A YEAR OF MANY FIRSTS
Photos by Adnan Qazi and Mark Bothwell
Aashni + Co Wedding Show made its debut in January. The event created history by being the first commercial show in London to bring South Asia’s top couturiers under one roof for a day.
Manish Malhotra showcased at the store for the very first time. The overwhelming response resulted in two more shows with the designer that year.
The first blowout sample sale was launched in June, and over 200 pieces were sold out in four hours.
2016: CHARTING NEW TERRITORY
Photos by Adnan Qazi and Elegant & Wild.
Founder and creative director, Aashni Shah received an invitation from Prime Minister Theresa May to attend the Diwali Ball at 10 Downing Street, and she also became the only UK-based fashion entrepreneur to be featured in Grazia India’s prestigious ‘100 most influential in fashion’ list.
Aashni + Co took the luxury shopping experience online with the launch of www.aashniandco.com.
2017: A CELEBRATION OF FASHION
Aashni + Co marked five years of bringing the best of South Asian fashion to the UK. We supported the ‘Make in India’ movement with a handloom trunk show featuring collections by over 15 designers. The year also marked the launch of our India head office in Mumbai with a team of 22 dedicated to the online store. Over 600 orders were processed in a month. We released our first-ever television commercial that was hand-picked to be featured on www.bestadsontv.com.
2018: HERE WE ARE
Aashni + Co Wedding Show assumed a grander avatar with the iconic Somerset House as its venue and a record number of exhibitors.
Aashni & Co Wedding Show 2018 captured by Asian Wedding Photography company Dash Photography at Somerset House in London January 2018
The show also added the Department of Fine Jewellery to its showcase, and introduced masterclasses by top-notch industry experts like Kaushal, Shaan Mu, Masoom Minawala and more.
Shaan Mu masterclass featuring Lisa Haydon. Photo: Dash Photography
We also partnered with Sabyasachi for Band Baaja Bride Season 8 on NDTV Good Times. May 2018 saw the first-ever Aashni + Co Luxury Pret Show, with collection apt for the holiday and wedding season. Aashni was felicitated at the Stardust Awards in London for her contribution to promoting Indian fashion in UK and invited to the Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday patronage celebration at the Buckingham Palace.
Aashni Shah at the Prince of Wales’s 70th birthday patronage celebration at the Buckingham Palace.
The online store celebrated two successful years in June, and marked the occasion with an anniversary sale!
Shop the sale here.
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