Satirical videos and used clothes.. How did a young Nigerian woman from the streets of Lagos get to the Chanel platform in Paris?

The Chanel platform in the French capital, Paris, was not far from the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, for Rachel Ogurumi, who, within a few months, moved from photographing her looks in the streets of her hometown to walking on the French house’s platform during Paris Fashion Week. In October 2026, the young Nigerian woman appeared among the models of the Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 collection, a new station in her fast path in the world of fashion.

Ogurumi began to attract attention through videos in which she presented her looks in a different way than traditional fashion content. Instead of studios and luxurious photo shoots, she chose the streets of Lagos as the backdrop for her looks, taking advantage of the city's atmosphere and daily movement to present the fashions in a personal and lively style.

As her presence on social media expanded, her experience went beyond just coordinating clothes, as she began re-presenting outfits that had previously appeared on international platforms through pieces from her closet, which helped her build a unique identity. Among the experiences that attracted attention was recreating looks from the French house’s collection for the Métiers d’Art season, before she later found herself among the house’s models in Paris.

Her interest beyond fashion has extended to other areas of the creative industries, as Ogurumi founded “The Process Africa” platform with the aim of highlighting young African talent in the fields of fashion, film, and visual arts. Her collaboration with her friend, Nigerian designer and stylist Debbie Fasenga, was instrumental in developing a number of looks that became part of Ogurumi's social media presence.

They relied on mixing old pieces with trends inspired by fashion at the end of the nineties and the beginning of the millennium, in addition to bolder choices in colors and coordination. Not only did Ogurumi display her looks in front of the camera, but she also introduced movement and everyday situations into her clips, as she appeared moving in a Lagos market with a striking appearance while buying vegetables, transforming an ordinary scene into fashion content.

From the slum streets of Lagos to the fashion capital From Lagos to Paris, the next step came quickly. Instead of following the Chanel show from behind the screen, Ogurumi found herself for the first time among the house's models in its spring/summer 2027 show.

The creative director of the house, Matthew Blasi, chose for her a look made of gray and yellow tweed, consisting of a shirt and a medium-length skirt, with a burgundy bag, while her aesthetic appearance was simple, with radiant skin and hair braided back.