Nigerian supermodel Oluchi Orlandi looks super fashionable on the November issue of Forbes Woman. Styled by The Style HQ and photographed by Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Oluchi looks vibrant in in a red trouser suit by Nigerian designer Mai Atafo. Inside, Oluchi models more looks from Nigerian designers Deola Sagoe and Orire Omatsola and talks about her childhood spent in Lagos, her rise to fame and global runways and the future of African fashion.
Here are some snippets of Oluchi’s interview.
On her childhood:
We had a normal routine of home, school and church. I remember being very entrepreneurial at a young age though. I’d generally sell and think of ways to bring additional income home. It was entirely my initiative and I wasn’t pressured into anything by my parents.”
On her early days in New York:
“I suffered a real culture shock when I arrived in New York and was very homesick. I had never lived away from Lagos. I missed everything about home and wanted to be there. I went back home after a few months and was later convinced to return to New York for the sake of my career. Things got better from there and I learned to make [New York my] home.”
On Africa:
We should stop idolizing the West so much and start celebrating and marketing ourselves better. I am an African woman and I know beyond doubt that the only way to build a better Africa is to embody, think and celebrate our own grand feats.”
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