The Community That Uplifted Rachel Ojuromi

When Rachel Ojuromi made her worldwide debut for Chanel’s Spring Summer 2027 show, it didn’t surprise many people. For the people who have watched cleverly shot videos of her strutting down the streets of Lagos in outfits designed by her stylist, designer and friend, Debby Fasingha, and photographed by collaborator Odey Ipka, Ojuromi’s Chanel debut seemed predestined. 

The 22-year-old had gone viral for her Lagos street runway videos, where her avant-garde style contrasted with her realistic depiction of everyday Nigerian life. It was, however, a video in which she recreated looks from Chanel’s 2026 show that did it. With all five looks styled by Debby and the video shot by Ikpa, it propelled Rachel from Lagos, onto the Chanel catwalk. The video, which received a comment from Matthieu Blazy himself, creative director of Chanel, eventually landed Rachel a spot in the next Chanel runway show. 

Many saw this moment coming. However, Ojuromi’s rise is as much a story of rethinking how to be visible, and of pushing the boundaries of how a young African interacts and conceptualizes global fashion codes, as it is a story of community. Before Chanel, Ojuromi ran and still runs Process Africa, a cultural magazine and outfit documenting African creativity with tact and sharp inquiry. She was also a film curator at Home Movie Film Club, and an active participant in the Nigerian creative community. Her Instagram posts, which have gotten her global attention with regular comments from SZA, are a testament to her approach to community. Her videos are shot by a young creative like her, and her stylist also sources her clothes locally. The network of exchange and collaboration is one of the greatest strengths in many African creative communities, and this is no different.

Below, OkayAfrica spoke to some of the people who have worked, collaborated and created with Ojuromi on the power of community and what it means to build a star together, painting a grounding portrait of a brilliant artistic mind shaped by the artistic community around her.

Odey Ikpa, Photographer

I see Rachel and Debby as creative geniuses in their own right. What stands out to me about both of them is their willingness to learn and constantly improve themselves, both as individuals and as artists. Debby puts a lot of work into understanding fashion. She's always researching, watching runway shows, taking notes, and studying designers, shoes, patterns, and the ideas behind different collections. She's intentional about what she learns, and all that knowledge feeds into her styling and design. Rachel has that same drive. Whenever there's something she wants to do, she finds a way to learn it herself or connects with people who have the knowledge she needs. I've seen that in the way she went on to organise multiple events, launched her magazine, and now in her modelling. There's an audacity in the way she approaches things.

When she wants to do something, she finds a way to make it happen. I think that's what connects us. We're not waiting until we have everything figured out or until someone permits us. A lot of my approach comes from thinking about why we document in the first place. An ideal day would start before the shoot. Rachel and Debby develop the concept, Debby builds the looks, and then we head out, often walking the streets to find locations that fit. Rachel starts walking, I start shooting, moving the camera with her motion. What does it mean to preserve a person, a place, a moment? My own gaps in childhood memory make me curious about what’s remembered and what’s forgotten. I’m also interested in how people want to be seen, and how we choose what’s beautiful. These ideas shape how I observe and what I choose to frame.  I hope people see what’s possible when young creatives choose to build together. 

Ifeoluwa Olutayo, Co-Curator at Home Movie Film Club

Rachel always believed there was a clear marker in her head for what she wants to do and how she wants to express herself, and she surrounds herself with people who share the same ideals. It’s also been important for her to platform the people around her. Whatever Process Africa was doing, she made sure she was involving members of her community. At Home Movie Film Club, where we worked together for the greater part of two years, it was always clear what she wanted to show people. Like Rachel, my practice as a filmmaker and film curator has always been to platform people to show their work and show people that they haven’t seen anywhere else. 

Tolu Oye, Founder, Meji Meji

I officially met Rachel in 2024, but our worlds collided in 2025. I had known of her long before through the grapevine and social media. Our copywriter, Kemi at Meji Meji, also reintroduced me to her work when we were discussing Digital Afterlife, a project featured on Process Africa. I've always found Rachel fascinating, especially her wisdom and depth of perspective at such a young age. After we finally met, we stayed in touch, and my admiration for her has only grown. After the Process Africa feature, Meji Meji was gearing up for our short film, and we cast Rachel as one of the sisters in the campaign. One thing about Rachel is that she has an incredible sense of style. She has a way of putting pieces together so effortlessly, and somehow, everything just works. Having her as part of our campaign was a no-brainer.

Over time, I grew attached to Rachel because she reminded me so much of a younger version of myself. She had so much drive, knew exactly what she wanted, and had such a clear vision for herself. Around that time, there was a trend circulating on Instagram that we wanted to participate in, and we needed someone who embodied the essence of a cool girl in Lagos. Rachel was the very first person who came to mind. October 5th will always be a monumental day for me. Watching Rachel Dream come to fruition! Community is everything to me, and it has always been at the heart of Meji Meji. As someone building a globally facing brand, I believe it is equally important to remain rooted in the community around me and to be a resource in whatever capacity I can. Rachel, Odey, and Debby's story is a beautiful example of what happens when people come together and believe in a shared vision. At Meji Meji, that's the kind of ecosystem I want to continue building. One where we don't just celebrate talent after the world discovers it, but actively nurture, invest in, and champion it from the very beginning. Because when one of us wins, it creates possibilities for so many others.

Eniafe Momodu, Stylist

My first clear memory of Rachel would be Homecoming Festival, 2/3 years ago, where she did some freelance work with us, but it’s possible we crossed paths before then. She’s been around some of Lagos’s creative circles for a while now, just slowly building and doing her thing. I think Rachel is kind of your typical Gen Z creative in the sense that she’s very multifaceted. She’s explored so many things - fashion, film, creative direction, skating. 

I love that the world gets to meet her as a model because it’s the kind of launchpad that leaves the door open for so many other things in the future. I genuinely believe she’s going to change the world.  I just think it’s so important for people to see that you can really make your own luck. Yes, circumstances play a role. Access plays a role. But a lot of the time, as creatives, we focus on what we don’t have or what we wish we had. Rachel, Debby and Odey focused on what they do have. They looked around them, and they looked at each other, and they decided that was enough. It also shows the importance of collaborating with the people around you. Sometimes the best way to climb up as creatives is not by looking up, but by looking sideways.