Rachel Ojuromi, a 22-year-old Nigerian, became a Chanel model after spending months filming fashion videos on the streets of Lagos. She assembled outfits from secondhand finds and her own clothes, eventually recreating a specific Chanel look. Kursiv LifeStyle tells the story of how the internet helped her land a spot in one of the world’s most famous fashion shows.
From Lagos to the Chanel runway
The Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 show took place Oct. 5 at the Grand Palais during Paris Fashion Week. Creative Director Matthieu Blazy presented a new collection featuring tweed suits, knee-length skirts, sheer fabrics and bold prints. Illuminated bird sculptures adorned the venue, reflecting the collection’s themes of lightness and freedom.
Ojuromi was among the models walking the runway, making her Chanel runway debut.
In the spring of 2026, Ojuromi and her friend, stylist and designer Debby Fasingha, began filming short fashion videos. Eschewing expensive studios, they shot on the streets of Lagos, in markets, shops and other everyday locations.
Ojuromi might be seen running errands with a basket of bananas or simply walking down the street in an outfit that looked like it belonged in a fashion magazine. Her videos quickly went viral on social media.
One of the most significant clips featured Ojuromi and Fasingha recreating looks from Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collection. Social media users spotted the video, and Blazy himself subsequently reacted to it. The Chanel creative director left a comment reading «Everything,» accompanied by a heart emoji.
Following the viral video, fashion media outlets began covering Ojuromi. By September, she had signed with modeling agencies in New York, Paris, London and Canada.
