EXCLUSIVE: Doja Cat Unveils PrettyLittleThing Collaboration, Discusses New Music

Rising star Doja Cat has been dominating the music scene this year with hits including the radio-friendly “Say So,” with its remix version reaching number one on Billboard’s Hot 100. She won Best New Artist at the 2020 MTV Video Music Award and is an expected nominee for the sought-after category at next year’s Grammys.

With fashion, she’s playful on red carpets, often collaborating with designers on custom looks with the help of stylist Brett Alan Nelson. She last wore Givenchy from Matthew Williams’ debut collection just days ago at the MTV Europe Music Award.

“Honestly, side note, I’d wear that dress to the grocery store,” she said over the phone of the sheer, bedazzled look and matching evening gloves. “I’d wear it everywhere. I’d wear it to sleep.”

The 25-year-old Los Angeles native, born Amala Zandile Dlamini, is getting ready to release her own fashion line, a collaboration with U.K.-based PrettyLittleThing. The looks are expected to drop in April. In the meantime, the entertainer is presenting a curated edit of items by the fast-fashion e-tailer. Available at Prettylittlething.com on Monday, the selection is a tease of what’s to come next year, she said.

“I chose what inspired me the most, and I feel like this collection is kind of a hint to the next collection,” Doja Cat said. “In the spring, it’s going to be more evolved and more colorful.”

Highly influenced by the Seventies and its silhouettes, expect trenchcoats and dress trousers in browns, oranges and olives, featuring faux leather and snakeskin.

“It’s very business-y but intertwined with sexy,” she said. “You go straight from work to the club kind of vibe.”

While being a subject of attention this year (some of it involving controversy based on past online comments that resurfaced), she’s performed in a series of award show ceremonies — though they’ve all been virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s strange,” she admitted, reflecting on that reality.

“It really all started to unfold during COVID-19,” she said of her success. “The biggest performances that I’ve had have happened during COVID-19, right at the beginning of it, so it’s not like I can really say, you know, it’s so much more different now, because the interesting part is this is all I really know, as far as doing big names, big platforms, award shows and things like that. It’s cool, but I’m a little worried what it’s going to feel like when all of this is over.”

She’s been simultaneously working on her third album, the follow-up to 2019’s “Hot Pink.” The new record is done, she said, though there’s no title at this point. It won’t be out until next year.

“It has a lot of different vibes on it,” Doja Cat said of the sound. “It’s a little more consistent [than ‘Hot Pink’], but there are still some things I wanted to experiment with as far as funk and disco. There’s a lot more slower songs on it, too. It’s not mostly slower songs, but there’s more than the last one. It’s a sexy album. It’s a sexy little vibe, and I’m excited to get it out.”

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