Courtesy of Nensi Dojaka & WWW
Who do you think of when you hear sensual fashion? If you haven’t had your head in the sand for the last couple of years, the steadfast rise of Nensi Dojaka will come to mind. While the acceptance of women showing some skin might not have come a long way in the past century (since it was first seen in the 1920s), the liberation of fashion has. Albanian, London-based, designer Dajoka has rapidly become a fashion sensation. Focusing on liberating women through the female gaze and deconstructed chiffon. It’s no surprise to hear that the LVMH prize winner renowned for her sophisticated yet subtle sultry silhouettes began her namesake label exactly a century after women's bodies were first-ever liberated.
Courtesy of Nensi Dojaka
Let me take you back to the roaring 20s, women are screaming with laughter, post-war celebration fills the lavish party-strung rooms, and womenswear is finally liberated with the first sign of showing some skin. The era of party season graced us with shorter hems than ever before, decadent details and the start of freedom in womenswear. Now in 2023, Dojaka is transforming lingerie into A-list-approved evening wear breaking the barriers of fashion with her standout designs.
But why were the 1920s such a liberating time for women? Before this period women dressed very conservatively, from stiff corsets and modest necklines to long sleeves and even longer hems, fashion was a form of social pressure reflecting society. As the twenties began roaring, women began embracing a fearless approach to life and fashion was at the forefront of the rebellion. Daring to go bare, progressive innovative designs emerged with loose-fitting dropped waists and hems above the knee, which was the first sign of non-restrictive fashion for women. Chanel took to her rise becoming renowned for liberating womenswear, making comfort and durability key while breaking the class divide using affordable fabrics.
Courtesy of WWW & Nensi Dojaka
The roaring twenties was the first time women felt free in their clothing, something Dojaka is focusing on as she broke onto the fashion scene exactly a century later. While her garments are portrayed as sexual, the fabrics are always grazing the body rather than trying to manipulate and sculpt it, just as the 1920s first did.
After graduating in 2019 with a collection of lustful mini dresses, it wasn’t long until she was noticed and snatched up by luxury commerce giants such as MatchesFashion. Her first debut show was for Autumn/Winter 2020 as she quickly became known as the London label for flesh-baring gowns. While having a contemporary approach to her signature style, the delicate designs often feature mesh panelling, engineered strappy necklines and sheer finishes. It’s no wonder she has won a multitude of prestigious awards surrounding emerging talent from the British Fashion Council to LVMH. Quickly becoming a part of popular culture, celebs and their stylists can’t get enough of Dojaka’s sensual style.
Dojaka expresses that her designs are about “the woman taking control of the gaze” as she told the Financial Times. With a focus on how women feel in her designs rather than how men perceive them, she is truly changing the game of empowerment and female sexuality a century on from women’s first fashion liberation.
All images used in this blog are either copyright free or rightfully credited. Sources can be accessed via the link below each image.
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