Lirika Matoshi: The Brand Beyond The Strawberry Dress

Do you remember the Strawberry Dress that everyone went crazy for in 2020? It went viral on TikTok alongside the problematic cover of the song Strawberry Blonde by Mitski (where the meaning behind the lyrics was ignored) as a method of curing lockdown boredom.

This dress was (and remains) the perfect pink midi dress: dripping with tulle and embellished strawberries. The dress seeps femininity from each individual seam. The puff sleeves, hem, and neckline are frilled to further feminise a timeless silhouette, allowing the dress to float and frolic with the wearer. It's no wonder that we were all enamoured by this dress, as it seemed to slot perfectly into the cottage core obsession that was inescapable at the time.

Eventually, as always, everyone got over the dress and forgot all about it, in favour of whatever was the next obsession. And in the years that have passed, most of us haven’t remembered just how popular the dress once was. But whilst our memories were fading, I kept an eye on the designer (I kept following their Instagram). Here’s why you should resurface your interest in the Strawberry Dress, but this time as the work of an amazing designer, and not as a TikTok trend.

About the Designer: Lirika Matoshi 

Lirika Matoshi is a Kosovo native who began her brand by selling handmade accessories in 2016, following her move to New York City (at 20 years old), after previously selling her work on Etsy. She never underwent any formal fashion schooling, so all of her creations can be attributed to pure talent. The Lirika Matoshi brand currently consists of an entirely female team, which may explain why all of their pieces ooze femininity.

All their products can be described as eccentric and whimsical, as they find ways to add feminine and fun flourishes to everyday items. For this brand, a top is no longer just a top; it’s now a work of art; a bag is no longer just a place to keep your lip combo, it’s the thing that completes (or even saves) your outfit.

To best understand the brand of Lirika Matoshi with regards to the context of its creation, it’s important to look to the brand that inspired her – that is, the brand of her sister, Teuta Matoshi.

Teuta Matoshi 

Teuta Matoshi is a Kosovo-based fashion designer who taught herself to upcycle clothes from a young age. She went on to attend the Factory Design University and study a degree in Fashion Design, to further master her craft. In the late 90s, Teuta Matoshi struggled in her brand launch due to the war in Kosovo, which meant that she had to travel long distances to source materials, as well as train her entire staff (consisting of 40 people at the time) from scratch, all by herself.

Like her sister, she also embraces femininity, specialising in designing lavish dresses. She experiments with floral elements and sparkly enhancements, creating pieces that are everything we dreamed of wearing as little girls who fantasised about waking up inside a Barbie movie.

Lirika’s designs are slightly more catered to everyday wear, as the brand sells items like knitwear and t-shirts, alongside gowns. Her designs display the unique fusion between fashion and something unexpected, like everyday objects; with pieces literally having everything, including the kitchen sink! Teuta Matoshi’s designs, in contrast, are more tailored to special occasions, with multiple dreamy bridal collections, and her dresses transforming any wearer into a storybook princess.

Trends that leave too soon 

These brands are both manufacturers of incredible and unique designs, and it’s such a massive injustice that they are only recognized in association to a viral TikTok dress. As consumers, we need to acknowledge how problematic this is. We can’t just toss brands away like this after the TikTok sound stops trending. We need to be more compassionate when it comes to forgetting trends.

I know it’s not realistic to say that we should bring these brands into the regular rotation of where we buy our clothes from, because ultimately, they are designer and expensive. But if we liked the Strawberry Dress so much, then we should show something deeper than a shallow interest in the brand.

The way we treat fashion trends is so exhaustingly ephemeral. We act like clothes decompose every three months and forget the unethical consequences of overconsumption and unsustainability. There’s no shame in wanting to be trendy, but there is shame in sacrificing your carbon footprint to do so.

The brands that we’re ignoring, these are people’s dreams, their lives’ work, their pride and joy, and we think it’s alright to just throw our interest away after the product isn’t trending anymore. We should appreciate the Strawberry Dress (and other clothes that have fallen victim to this curse) for what it is – a piece of art created by a skillful and devoted artist. We should appreciate the pieces in the context of the brand, not the TikTok trend.