Chanel calls viral Lagos model to walk Paris Fashion Week

Nigerian content creator Rachel Ojuromi, who went viral for modelling on the streets of Lagos, made her runway debut at Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week on October 5, according to People.

Ojuromi caught the eye of Chanel artistic director Matthieu Blazy after posting a video in July in which she wore looks inspired by the brand’s 2026 Métiers d’Art collection. The outfits were created by her friend Debby Fasingha. The video drew over 2 million views, and Blazy commented “Everything.”

On the runway, she wore Look 73, a yellow and gray tweed shirt with a matching midi skirt. She told Vogue the look felt like a sign, adding that the team wanted her to look exactly like herself.

“You can dream yourself into a life that is possible even if nobody else gets it,” she told the magazine. She credited hard work rather than luck, saying success is “never overnight.”

Ojuromi also told BBC Africa that a model scout once told her she would never do runway. Walking for Chanel, she said, proved that her dreams can come true.

Blazy, formerly of Bottega Veneta, took over at Chanel in April 2025 and has been bringing in fresh faces. They include Indian-born Bhavitha Mandava, who was scouted at a New York City subway station and later walked Chanel’s Haute Couture show as the house’s bride, a tradition that often signals a designer’s new muse.