Recent trends suggest that designers are in two minds about how we should dress as we emerge from a global pandemic. Some are offering post-lockdown solace in the form of cuddly bags and plush slippers, while others want us to stick on some platforms and bare as much skin as possible. Nensi Dojaka falls into the latter camp.
Bella Hadid wearing look 8 from Nensi Dojaka’s debut autumn/winter 2020 showcase
Photo: Gotham/GC Images
And it appears a significant portion of the population approves, given that the designer’s skimpy, ’90s-inspired – and expertly crafted – asymmetric mini dress ranks in Lyst’s top 10 hottest products for the first quarter of 2021. The fashion search engine totted up sales and searches in the first four months of the year to spotlight the brands generating the most interest online, and Dojaka’s piece is up there with cult buys from the likes of Gucci, Rolex, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Hermès.
A recent graduate of the prestigious MA course at Central Saint Martins, Dojaka was swiftly taken under the wing of Lulu Kennedy and her support network, Fashion East. Autumn/winter 2021 marked her third season. She made her debut last February, on the cusp of lockdown, and released her sophomore collection in late September, when it was still far from business as usual in the fashion industry. Nensi is the first to say it’s been a whirlwind: “I’ve learnt so much during the past year and a half, it’s insane,” she tells British Vogue. “There are always ideas that are in your head, but it takes steps to start to understand how things are made.”
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The Albanian-born designer came to school in London when she was 16, going on to study her foundation at CSM then a fashion contour BA at London College of Fashion. Fast forward to now, and she’s putting the technical abilities she developed while making lingerie to good use while creating her revealing, sensual pieces.
Bella Hadid was among the first high-profile fans to catch wind of Dojaka’s head-turning aesthetic. The supermodel opted for look 8 from the designer’s inaugural collection – a sheer off-the-shoulder top with spherical breast cups, styled with visible thong trousers – to wear to the 2020 VMAs. “That was crazy that moment,” Dojaka recalls. “A little gift.”
Dojaka’s clientele is “quite particular”, the designer says. The instant resonance of her brand identity means demand from customers, buyers and stockists has been strong from day one. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Knock-off versions of Dojaka’s distinctive designs began proliferating online, a fast-fashion hazard that makes the young talent furious. “It’s just wrong,” she says now of low-cost retailers’ habit of ripping off the work of emerging brands.
Though her body-sculpting mesh tops and dresses have become her trademark, she’s keen to broaden her brand. The tailoring glimpsed at her debut autumn/winter 2020 show was further refined for autumn/winter 2021, taking shape as trousers, a coat and a suit. Save for hints of brown in her first collection, Dojaka has rarely strayed from an all black palette, but autumn/winter 2021 includes a scattering of cherry reds and pinks. Dojaka says her focus on black is “one of the reasons I stood out”, but adds: “I love colour, I wear colour as well.”
Designers could be forgiven for avoiding the question of, “what’s next?”, right now, given the ongoing uncertainty in retail. But Dojaka has a goal: shoes. I tell her I can already visualise what Nensi Dojaka footwear would look like. You probably can, too.
Editor
Alice Cary
