LONDON — Simone Ashley, the British actress famous for her roles in “Bridgerton” and “Sex Education,” is the star of Johnnie Walker’s latest Daring Steps campaign. 

She appears in a brief film directed by filmmaker Kajal. Ashley and Anita Chhiba, founding father of the talent agency Weight-reduction plan Paratha, which promotes South Asian creatives, also collaborated on the film.

Within the campaign, Ashley wears quite a lot of looks, all of which were made by South Asian designers.  

“Simone is so inspiring,” Chhiba told WWD. “Working alongside someone who’s such a key public figure for smashing through cultural barriers that many [South Asian people] face made it all of the more meaningful.” 

The campaign offers young British South Asian creatives the chance to design a limited-edition bottle for the whiskey brand.  

Winners will join Weight-reduction plan Paratha’s Family Tree Mentoring program, which guarantees to offer them with support and guidance of their careers. 

Within the film, Ashley sports looks from emerging and more established designers including jewelry made by Basliq and by Amaan Duffer, who’s a student at London College of Fashion.

Ashley also wore a dress and matching long gloves from Khanums. The label was founded by Rokeya Khanum, who’s of Bangladeshi heritage and whose clothing is sustainably and ethically made, Chhiba said. 

Ashley is a well-known face within the U.K. and appeared within the front row at Burberry’s spring 2023 runway show in September.

She sat next to the Thai actor Vachirawit Chivaaree, who is understood professionally as Vivid. They chatted and posed for pictures together in front of the Asian press, who were finally capable of travel for fashion weeks following the gradual lifting of restrictions worldwide.