Adesuwa A ighewi
Nigeria, China, Thailand
If models were traditionally seen and not heard,
Aighewi upends that notion entirely. At Dior’s
resort show in Marrakech last April, she used
her moment backstage with creative director
Maria Grazia Chiuri to raise questions about
the authenticity of the collection, prompting a
larger dialogue about safeguarding African
traditions. “These conversations weren’t being
had before, but social media has changed
everything,” says the model, who posted a
video of their exchange to Instagram. Aighewi,
who spent the better part of her childhood in
Nigeria, where her father is from (her mother
is Thai-born Chinese), and now lives in New
York, is hoping to bring African artisanship to
the fore once again with Legacy Project, an
online marketplace for independent designers
and craftspeople set to launch in the near
future. “Fashion is deeply political,” she says.
“People want clothes with meaning.”
Matty Bovan top. Vintage jeans.
singke
(singke)
#1