How Rachel Ojuromi Went From Walking on the Streets of Lagos to the Chanel Runway in Paris
After spending the better part of a year posting fashion videos using the streets of Lagos, Nigeria, as her runway, 22-year-old model Rachel Ojuromi has gone from social media sensation to the newest IT girl at Paris Fashion Week after making her worldwide debut at the Chanel show.
Everything started when Ojuromi began posting videos modeling jaw-dropping looks against the backdrop of Lagos’ busy streets. Styled by her best friend, Debby Fasingha, with videos shot by another pal, popular Nigerian photographer Odey Ikpä, the model’s fashion dreams have come true through a collective effort by her friends and followers.
In a video that went viral on TikTok and Instagram, Ojuromi strutted down the middle of a busy road in a miniskirt and cropped tank top, carrying a tray of plantain on her head with the headlights of multiple cars shining against her silhouette.
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She looked fierce, and folks in the TikTok comments were in awe of Ojuromi’s raw modeling prowess.
“THE BADDEST B*****S AIN’T IN LA,” exclaimed one user, referencing the popular song by singer Adéla.
“Bring that b**** to the runway,” demanded someone else in the comments.
Another popular video showed Ojuromi recreating Chanel’s looks from its Métiers d’art 2026 collection using thrifted clothes while again using Lagos as her catwalk.
Once again, her video had fans crying for Ojuromi to be signed and put on a runway stat!
@Loren_clarkke posted: “Get her on a runway NOW. One of the prettiest people I have ever seen, with the most perfect walk ever.”
A second user added, “She needs to be discovered by a modeling agency immediately!”
Social media demands were heard. At the end of September, Ojuromi announced on Instagram that she had been signed to some of the top modeling agencies in the industry.
“WE DID IT!!! NOW SIGNED WITH THE BEST OF THE BEST! After 6 months of thousands of us manifesting one dream, I am beyond excited to share that I’m now signed with @nosmoking NYC (thank you @kylehagler), @safemgmtPARIS (thank you @saifoo7), and @SUPA.Worldwide LONDON! And to the best mother agency ever @nextcanada!! ILYYYYYYYY,” she wrote in part, before thanking her followers for making her dreams come true.
However, the excitement didn’t stop there. Ojuromi made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week with Chanel.
According to Vogue, when Ojuromi received the call that she would be walking for Chanel, her reaction was calm and collected. But seeing her dreams come to life during the first lineup for the show made her break down in tears.
“I started crying because I was like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait… what’s going on?’” she told Vogue.
It wasn’t just a huge moment for the 22-year-old model, but also for her supporters on social media, who were celebrating the moment alongside her.
“Manifestation is so real guys,” commented one user on TikTok.
“I’ve never been so happy for a stranger,” posted someone else.
While modeling seems to be a natural career path for Ojuromi, it wasn’t always in her plans. In an interview with the BBC, the model said she initially aspired to become a neurosurgeon.
“I thought it (modeling) was a surface-level job,” she said. “Somehow we ended up here in the creative space, and then I went and studied film, but as I learned more about fashion and modeling, I started to realize that the model has such an important job because you are representing and presenting the thoughts and ideas of an entire team.”
