Lagos creative Rachel Ojuromi makes debut on Chanel runway

Before reaching Paris, 22-year-old Rachel Ojuromi transformed the busy markets and chaotic streets of Lagos into her own private fashion runway. For the past six months, she has gained significant attention on social media by showcasing outfits crafted from secondhand items and scraps sourced from local hubs, such as Yaba market.

Her collaborator, Debby Fasingha, who is also her childhood friend and neighbour, serves as her stylist. The pair film in locations including Gbagada and Yaba, often drawing cheers and smiles from locals as Ojuromi walks through traffic. In one instance, she was filmed balancing a tray of bananas on her head while navigating a road.

Another sequence involved her sharing tea with a local teenager at a street-side shop, a concept inspired by a Japanese advertisement. When a curious passerby was asked to provide an extra for the shot, she returned with her son to appear in the scene. For Ojuromi, who is known on Instagram as Give Rachel a Shot, this spontaneous moment represents the essence of her work.

“There is something meaningful about knowing that a particular image or video exists because of a moment that happened at a specific time and place,” she said. “Even if somebody tries to recreate it, it will never be the same.”

Growing up, Ojuromi was frequently around clothing as her mother worked as a market trader. She originally intended to pursue a medical career, inspired by the autobiography of neurosurgeon Ben Carson, but changed paths after facing complications with her college application. She decided to pivot toward film-making after taking a year off.

“I wanted to contribute something meaningful and push boundaries,” she explained. “I discovered that I could pursue that ambition through creativity rather than medicine.”

Working with Fasingha, Ojuromi began reinterpreting global fashion collections using thrifted garments. “One of my mantras is to live within the reality of your situation,” she noted. “I am not going to spend money on something I cannot afford simply because I want to create a particular look.” She added that they focus on the underlying themes and cultural references within those collections.

Between March and August this year, the duo committed to releasing a new fashion video every day. Their work eventually caught the eye of Chanel after they produced looks inspired by the brand’s Métiers d’Art 2026 collection. After receiving approval from casting director Anita Bitton, their footage attracted the attention of Chanel’s creative director, Matthieu Blazy.

This recognition led to Ojuromi travelling to Paris to walk in the Chanel spring/summer 2027 show at the Grand Palais last month. Beyond modelling, she is a film-maker and the founder of the platform the Process Africa, which she launched in 2023 following an event held by her friend Temidayo Aríṣe.

The platform aims to support young African artists and designers who struggle to access professional opportunities. Ojuromi believes that African creativity should not be categorised separately from global work. “I don’t want people to constantly feel the need to introduce their work as African fashion or African art, as though it belongs to a separate category,” she said. “It is fashion. It is art. It is music.”