Nensi Dojaka‘s return to the runway after a two-year hiatus was highly anticipated. When the Albanian-born designer’s collaboration with Calvin Klein was announced ahead of the show, that anticipation reached heady new heights.
And it makes sense, right? Both brands are known for being sexy, and for celebrating “the power of female sensuality.” Plus, Calvin Klein has always been on the designer’s moodboards. So maybe, it was just a matter of time if you believe in manifestation. Whether fate or just great business sense, it remains a genius move all round.
On the runway, Dojaka’s signature lingerie construction brought together gossamer-thin organzas, the most delicate of ruffles and sultry floral motifs with elegance. But perhaps most of all, the collection also served as powerful reminder of just how far Dojaka has come.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2019, winning the LVMH Prize in 2021 and dressing the likes of Beyoncé, Zendaya and Dua Lipa, to now teaming up with Calvin Klein, it perhaps draws another line in the sand for designer. A pre- and post-CK, where now she will no doubt make even more widely recognized. The collection, coincidentally, is already available to purchase (which feels reminiscent of the see-n0w-buy-now models of pre-pandemic times) via Calvin Klein and Nensi Dojaka’s websites.
Continue reading below for our full review of the collection.
WHERE: Nensi Dojaka’s collection matched the grandeur, the elegance and the empowerment of the gothic setting: London’s St Pancras Renaissance hotel. This is the same grand hotel that houses the Spice Girls staircase. (You know, the one from the “Wannabe” music video.) Sure, the runway itself didn’t feature the iconic steps, but walking past them to reach the runway certainly added a special something. An extra sprinkling of girl power, perhaps?
WHO: Bridgerton‘s Simone Ashley, Olympic star Dina Asher-Smith, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and singer Luna Blaise lit up the FROW.
SEE: The underwear served as the centerpiece here, but they were accentuated by tailoring and sheer cover-ups which did little to provide any actual coverage. Still, when your bra – many of which incorporated thin harness straps and sculptural metal hardware – look so good, why would you want to hide them? Overall, it felt like they brought a sexy edge to otherwise very delicate pieces. The color scheme too was sublime: black, whites and burgundy made for rich but sober palette.
HEAR: Barbs! “Gotta move, gotta get out. Gotta leave this place, gotta find some place…Some place where I can just be me,” sang Barbara Streisand. The empowering voice and message certainly hit home as the designer took her bow, embracing friends and family.
TOUCH: Underwear as outwear is going nowhere, fast. But there was plenty that was new beyond the Calvin Klein link-up. Best of all? The body-clinging knitwear dresses, some striped with vertical and opaque lines that played peek-a-boo as they shimmied down the runway. Also worth noting: the leather bustier dress that is both fierce and fabulously feminine. Very Dojaka.
TASTE: Beyond the notable collab, Dojaka’s SS25 felt like a joyful celebration of femininity, and we couldn’t be more here for that.
