Two graduates from the University of Westminster Fashion courses have been named in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2020.
Now in its fifth year, the annual Under 30 Europe highlights young visionary leaders brashly reinventing business and society. The list is the result of thousands of international nominations, months of investigative reporting and the seal of approval from Forbes’ panel of blue-ribbon judges.
Among the 30 names was Fashion alumna Roberta Einer, who graduated from the Fashion Design BA Honours course in 2015. Since graduating, Roberta has shown at London Fashion Week every year and has an extensive list of prestigious clients, including Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Rihanna. In 2016, she was one of two designers to win the Emerging Designers Showcase competition to have her collection stocked at the iconic Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.
Roberta Einer’s namesake brand creates experimental luxury womenswear, focusing on textiles and traditional couture techniques. Her designs have been featured in an array of fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle, HUNGER and i-D magazine.
Aluma Priya Ahluwalia was also named, who graduated from the Menswear MA course in 2018 and is the designer and founder of her namesake menswear brand Ahluwalia. Priya already boasts an extensive array of achievements, including winning the H&M Global Design Award 2019 and is currently one of the eight finalists in the running to receive the 2020 LVMH prize.
Priya’s menswear brand draws inspiration from her Indian-Nigerian heritage by repurposing vintage materials in factories that employ rural women and pay them fairly. She has shown at London Fashion Week Men’s since 2018 and is part of the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN scheme. Her stockists include SSENSE, Browns and Matches.
Talking about their achievements, Professor of Fashion Design Andrew Groves said: “At Westminster, we encourage students to develop a personal design aesthetic, but also an approach to the fashion industry that is mindful of its social responsibilities to reduce its negative impact.
“I’m so pleased that Forbes has recognised both Priya and Roberta’s creative outputs as fashion designers, but also for their social responsibility that is essential to their business practice.”
Find out more about Fashion courses offered at the University of Westminster.
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