Nominator: Najada Hamza

Nominator's statement

I hereby nominate student Xheksil in recognition of his outstanding artistic achievement, conceptual maturity, and exceptional sensitivity in the field of artistic textile and fashion design.

Xheksil Muça has consistently demonstrated work of high artistic value, marked by a rare ability to transform material, memory, and cultural reference into a coherent and deeply poetic visual language. His latest collection, developed through a series of white artistic garments, emerges from a profound need to engage with identity as a living memory, an entity that breathes, transforms, and persists through time.
The choice of white is not merely chromatic, but conceptual. It appears as silence and soft light, a symbol of purity and introspection, a space where traces of the past are preserved, and layers of history are patiently constructed. In this collection, folklore is not quoted or imitated; it is felt. It exists as an inner resonance rather than an external reference, allowing tradition to speak through sensation, texture, and form.
The use of tulle, woven into strips on the loom, moves delicately across the body like a fragile memory threads of time that connect and separate without breaking. Its transparency simultaneously reveals and conceals, echoing the way identity is formed between what we inherit and what we become. This material choice demonstrates not only technical competence but also conceptual clarity and emotional intelligence.
The introduction of puffer fabric creates protective, almost corporeal forms suggestive of a second skin. These volumes function as vessels of memory, holding history and emotion close to the body. Meanwhile, the cotton filter introduces warmth and sensitivity, grounding the collection in tactility, handwork, and the rhythm of everyday life. It reconnects the viewer to the earth, to labor, and to the intimacy of making.
Handcrafted crocheted doilies play a crucial symbolic role, representing artisanal labor as an act of identity and resistance. They speak of hands that create, of gestures repeated across generations, standing firmly against mass production and the erosion of individuality. These elements transform craftsmanship into a human trace, one that carries memory forward.
A central visual and conceptual anchor of the collection is the spiral motif, inspired by Illyrian fibulae. The spiral appears as an ancient sign a continuous rotation between past and present. It is root, memory, and journey at once. Importantly, the spiral is not treated as decoration, but as a visual code that carries cultural energy, continuity, and ancestral presence. It does not close; it continues.

This collection is ultimately an attempt to listen to what old garments still whisper. It creates a silent dialogue between body and history, where clothing becomes sensation, experience, and lived identity. The student demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of fashion as an artistic, cultural, and emotional medium, capable of carrying meaning far beyond form.

Through this work, Xheksil shows exceptional promise as a young artist who is able to merge concept, material research, craftsmanship, and cultural consciousness into a powerful and contemporary artistic statement. His work reflects originality, depth, and a strong authorial voice.

For these reasons, I strongly and confidently nominate student Xheksil Muça, whose artistic vision and dedication merit recognition at the highest academic and professional levels.

THE BRIDE COLLECTION 
"The Brides" is my first collection created as part of my Bachelor's degree collection. It was first presented at "Feeric Fashion Week" in Sibiu/Romania in June 2024. My inspiration for this collection came from the traditional bridal dress of Mirdita (a mountainous area in northern Albania), called "Xhoka". The materials used for these dresses are: tulle (woven with ribbons on a loom), industrial felt and spiral cords. I considered this collection as a work of art. The main goal of this collection was to use folkloric motifs and turn them into modern ones, to create a bridge between the past and the present at the same time.

SOFT COLLECTION
“Soft” is my second collection created during my first academic year in the Master's program in 2025. The inspiration for this collection came from the cotton plant. The whiteness and softness of the cotton gives you a special emotion. The materials used in these dresses are: cotton filter, tulle, linen, and lace. Each look stands as a work of art and ready to be photographed in lawns planted with many cotton plants.

ILLYRIS COLLECTION
"illyris" is a collection created in June 2025, as part of my engagement in a fashion competition with theme from Albanian folklore called "Muza Competition"; and where I was awarded third prize.

The inspiration for this collection came from the legends of the cities of Albania, which have been told by our grandparents until today. Each dress represents a city and a legend. As a connecting accessory between these looks, I have chosen a very ancient motif related to Illyria (the origin of Albanians). This motif is in the form of a round spiral, made of metal and is found on the hems of Illyrian garments; and it is thought to represent the "sun". The materials used in these dresses are: tulle, puffer material, silk, satin, spiral cords and pearls. The goal of this collection was to stay as close as possible between the folklore and modernity at the same time.