When I launched my brand in 2017, the goal was to create clothes that presented feminine silhouettes with an edge.
My starting point centred around lingerie construction, which goes back to my undergraduate studies. Now, my label has expanded to celebrate and focus on the female figure, so it never made sense to solely include sample-size models. I'm a size 14, and I couldn't fathom not being able to wear my own pieces.
I had my first solo London Fashion Week show in September 2021. My casting was - and still is - specific. I'm not a designer who operates via street scouting, and all the girls needed to make sense together. Having Paloma [Elsesser], Jill [Kortleve] and, most recently, Devyn [Garcia] walk in my shows was amazing.
Emerging brands are taking on the responsibility of putting plus-size models in shows, while more established names on the schedule aren't following suit, which shouldn't be the case. We need more inclusive messaging from the bigger players. It shouldn't be normalised for large brands to include only one type of woman on the catwalk. All the pressure and judgement falls on smaller labels. It must be a group effort: agents need to make sure there are a wider variety of models available for shows - when you have very few choices, it's not the easiest thing to do.
As a young designer, it took a while to make a wide range of sizes available as I didn't have the resources in the studio - you need experienced pattern cutters and more samples, so it costs more. I still don't have a lot of resources - but I was committed to continuing because it felt personal. I think that part of the issue with providing an extensive size range in stores and online is that there can be resistance on the retailer's side to order larger sizes.
Social media can be a powerful tool, so I use my platforms to showcase women of varying sizes. People want to buy what they see, and if they see garments that look good on someone who looks like them, they're more willing to buy them.
When I wear my dresses - or when my mother does - I'm constantly thinking of fabrics that can flatter different body shapes: slightly less restrictive but still figure-hugging.
Although there are difficulties in making larger sizes available when you're running a smaller brand, it's still very much achievable. Having Fran [the stylist, editor and image-maker Francesca Burns] - with whom I started working with four seasons ago, and who feels very strongly about inclusivity in fashion - on my side has made it feel like teamwork.
As my brand has expanded, I've noticed a positive response from people online when they see my clothing on a fuller figure. Customers message me saying that they love my clothes because they make them feel good.
One memorable instance was when I posted Paloma walking the AW22 show. They said: 'I didn't know your designs looked so good on some- one who isn't just a size small.' That message stuck with me. An older and more diverse following has come with the growth of the brand - I've heard a lot of pregnant women are buying the pieces, which is great. [In February 2022, Dojaka included a pregnant model, Maggie Maurer, in her show.]
The fashion industry might celebrate plus-size women from time to time, but the clothing that fits those same frames doesn't exist. It's not done in a meaningful way. Approaching all body types as trends, rather than bodies that belong to people, is where I think we've gone wrong in the fashion industry.