Diversity in fashion is no longer simply a matter of race and ethnicity, size and age. It’s everything and anything. And the latest Burberry Children’s Autumn-Winter ’22 collection is a proof of that.
The British Luxury Fashion label’s campaign which came out earlier this week warmed the hearts of millions of people across the globe, when they took to Instagram to share a post featuring the a 4-year-old Sikh kid, Sahib Singh standing with a teddy bear. This made him the first model to wear a patka (the turban worn by younger Sikh boys) for the luxury brand.
Sahib, who stays in Essex (United Kingdom) was part of an ad campaign that featured children from all ethnicities.
In the post shared on social media, Sahib is seen donning the brand’s collection of back-to-school designs, as he was seen posing with a Thomas Burberry Bear puffer jacket that is worn over a cardigan and shorts.
London-based Sahib is a digital content creator who enjoys an Instagram following of almost ten thousand people. His account is managed by his parents, Harjot Kaur and Ranjeet Singh. His new campaign has been lauded by Indians across the world including some famous celebrities like singer-actor Ammy Virk and popular singer Harbhajan Mann.
In an exclusive chat, News18.com spoke to Sahib’s parents who are feeling proud of their son’s achievement and were beaming with joy. “The feedback has been simply amazing. It is really heartening to see people across the globe shower their love on Sahib,” says The father adding, “Our phones are constantly buzzing and we are still trying to get hold of the situation. We never thought that the campaign would become such a rage and Sahib would become a sensation. As parents we are all are bursting with pride for the entire community. We want not just Sahib but all the boys in our community to be proud of their heritage, and wear their patkas and turbans with pride and confidence.”
He also reveals that the idea of starting and Instagram page for their son was not to pursue him for modelling, “In the recent time, we saw a couple of high-profile cases of bullying of the young Sikh boys in United Kingdom which is rare a racism doesn’t really exist. This really upset us because everyone in our family wears a turban and we have been staying in this country for three generations. My wife suggested that we should create an Instagram page for young Sikh boys to educate people about why it is important to wear a patka or a turban. started making tutorial videos of how to tie a patka and a turban which received good response.”
The popularity of Sahib’s page was noticed by a talent agency which eventually led to the 4-year-old getting featured in the Burberry campaign. “As Sahib’s page started getting popular, a modelling and talent agency approached us with the idea of getting him into modelling. My wife and I thought that we could give it a try and he was cast in a few brands earlier. And one day, we got a call from the agency that Sahib was approached by Burberry for an ad campaign that featured children from all ethnicities,” explains Singh who mentioned that the Burberry team were extremely careful and took care of all the children who were shooting with them.
While the young kid has become a global phenomenon, Sahib’s mother says that they are shielding him from all the noise that is happening around him, “He has seen some pictures and is really happy with them but we don’t really want him to be too aware of what has happened. It is really important to keep our kids grounded and make sure that they concentrate on being kids and enjoy the small joys of life. Sahib loves playing sports especially cricket, football and tennis and we just want him to enjoy these things. We have even turned down a few television interviews as we are not looking for any kind of publicity.”
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