Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit | Walé Oyéjidé
"To be African is to be inspired by culture and to be filled with undying hope for the future," says designer and TED Fellow Walé Oyéjidé. With his label Ikiré ...
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It is often said that the stories of history are written by its victors, but if this is true, what becomes of the downtrodden, and how can they ever hope to aspire for something greater if they are never told the stories of their own glorious pasts? Ostensibly, I stand before you as a mere maker of clothing, but within the folds of ancient fabrics and modern textiles, I have found a higher calling. Through my work as a designer, I've discovered the importance of providing representation for the marginalized members of our society, and the importance of telling the most vulnerable among us that they no longer have to compromise themselves just so they can fit in with an uncompromising majority. It turns out that fashion, a discipline many of us consider to be trivial, can ...
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It is often said that the stories of history are written by its victors, but if this is true, what becomes of the downtrodden, and how can they ever hope to aspire for something greater if they are never told the stories of their own glorious pasts? Ostensibly, I stand before you as a mere maker of clothing, but within the folds of ancient fabrics and modern textiles, I have found a higher calling. Through my work as a designer, I've discovered the importance of providing representation for the marginalized members of our society, and the importance of telling the most vulnerable among us that they no longer have to compromise themselves just so they can fit in with an uncompromising majority. It turns out that fashion, a discipline many of us consider to be trivial, can ...
