Meet Nensi Dojaka, The Designer Putting The Female Body Back In The Limelight – ELLE

'The "naked dressing" trend is everywhere now, so I think more and more people are starting to see it as normal and really embracing it.'

Nensi Dojaka

Nensi Dojaka is almost singlehandedly responsible for bringing sexy back. While the majority of us spent the pandemic in variations on loose and lounge-y outfits, the 28-year-old Albanian-born, London-based designer was creating clothes that were the exact opposite, ready for when we would finally re-emerge. Strappy, slinky, see-through and brazenly barely-there, Dojaka's dresses acted as the perfect foil to months spent in tent-like contraptions, bringing the hidden-away body back into the limelight – in all its shapes and sizes.

'At first, it was mostly young girls who love to dress up,' explains Dojaka. 'But now, it's older women too, different body types, so many interesting people who are wearing and loving my clothes. The "naked dressing" trend is everywhere now, so I think more and more people are starting to see it as normal and really embracing it. It's making women a lot braver in terms of how they dress, myself included.'

A technical understanding of the female body has been instrumental in Dojaka's success. The young designer specialised in lingerie for her BA at Central Saint Martins, but an internship at Peter Pilotto made her realise that she wanted to pursue a Master's in 'proper womenswear' next. 'I went into my MA with quite a different background compared to everyone else,' explains Dojaka. 'But my knowledge of lingerie also gave me a different point of view. I had learnt a lot about construction and sizing and the technicalities surrounding that. It's very complex, and I'm no expert, but it certainly made me really care about that side of design. It gave me the foundation for what I'm doing today.'

Dojaka's MA collection, filled with body-hugging silhouettes, transparent mesh panels, sultry cut-outs and a distinctively lingerie-like aesthetic, was quickly snapped up by SSENSE. Soon after, the designer made her solo London Fashion Week debut as part of the SS22 season to widespread acclaim, won the LVMH prize in 2021 and found celebrity fans in everyone from Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid to Zendaya.

But beyond the obvious Instagram-catnip appeal of Dojaka's clothes, it's the attention to detail and fit that really shines through – and has made them so instrumental in the body-positivity movement. The designer's AW22 show made it particularly clear that 'sexy' is for everyone, featuring the glorious Paloma Elsesser in a signature cut-out minidress as well as Maggie Maurer heavily pregnant in a transparent, sequin-covered gown.

'Everyone sees the collection and the runway pictures first, so I think size inclusivity really has to start there,' says Dojaka. 'Putting different types of models on the runway sends an important message, and people start to accept that image. We started with the shows and now that we're growing, every season we are offering more sizes – which is something I hope that we can continue to do every season. But there's still a lot of work to be done, and it is more challenging for the smaller brands.'

A lack of resources is something all young, emerging designers struggle with – and often acts as a hindrance to executing their vision. In fact, it was fellow small, independent business like her own that helped get Dojaka to where she is today. 'Other small merchants and suppliers were the foundation of my business when I was launching my brand,' says Dojaka.

READ MORE AT ELLE

Back to Press