Rachael Ojuromi Walks Chanel SS27 After Her Viral Lagos Recreation Caught Matthieu Blazy’s Eye

Remember that Lagos recreation of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collection that took over social media? Well, Rachael Ojuromi has taken that story all the way to Paris.

The 22-year-old Nigerian model and creative director has officially walked in Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2027 show at the Grand Palais in Paris. It is a full-circle fashion story that began with Rachael and her close friend and stylist, Debby Fasingha, recreating Chanel looks with thrifted pieces around Lagos, including on the Red Line rail overpass in Yaba.

The recreation caught the attention of Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy, who commented “Everything” under their viral video on Instagram. That moment helped put Rachael’s creative work in front of a much wider fashion audience, and her modelling career soon picked up pace, with agency representation now spanning New York, Paris and London.

Rachael Ojuromi recreating a Chanel Métiers d’Art tailored look using second-hand clothing sourced in Lagos. Photo Credit: Rachael Ojuromi/Instagram

Before Chanel, Rachael had already been building a creative career of her own. She is the founder of The Process Africa, a platform focused on emerging African talent, and her background in film, writing and communication has shaped the way she approaches fashion. Rather than treating clothes as the whole story, her work often brings together styling, location and visual storytelling, which was clear in the Lagos Chanel recreation that first caught international attention.

For Rachael and Debby, the idea was simple but ambitious: recreate Chanel’s Métiers d’Art looks using second-hand pieces sourced around Lagos, then reinterpret the luxury house’s runway imagery through their own creative lens. The result travelled far beyond the original setting, eventually leading Rachael from Lagos street scenes to one of Chanel’s biggest global stages.

Rachael Ojuromi styling a thrifted floral dress in Lagos next to the Chanel runway reference. Photo Credit: Rachael Ojuromi/Instagram

Rachael has previously spoken about giving herself room to experiment and letting her career develop along the way, saying: “Start from where you are and allow your journey to dictate the path you end up on. You just have to give yourself permission to play.” Her own journey has certainly followed that advice, moving from creative work in Lagos to international modelling and, now, a Chanel runway.

On 6 October 2026, Rachael walked in Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation at the Grand Palais. The show, titled La Conversation — Part Three — Different Faces of the Same Coin, placed her among the models presenting Matthieu Blazy’s latest collection for the French fashion house.

Rachael Ojuromi making her Chanel runway debut at the Grand Palais in Paris.

And that makes the journey from those thrifted Chanel recreations in Lagos to the actual Chanel runway in Paris all the more striking. What started as a creative reinterpretation with a friend has opened a new chapter in Rachael Ojuromi’s modelling career, with Paris now firmly part of her story.

Rachael Ojuromi reinterpreting a Chanel outer coat ensemble using thrifted fashion on the Red Line rail overpass in Yaba, Lagos. Photo Credit: Rachael Ojuromi/Instagram