My closest friends know that I am not a fashion fan. I know, I am supposed to be a "model" but I am not a "mannequin", I would rather accept the term "talent" (thanks to Sue Odell). I try not to say "I do not like this or that" without trying first and I finally had a try at walking for a designer during London Fashion Week: The one and only Thomas Olubiyi @atelier.olubiyithomas and @olubiyithomas. I am now more confused than ever, because I liked it.
Let me explain. Being part of the fashion week, one way or the other is a great achievement for some people, it is a boost and a boast. Now, in my case, it is too. I am not gonna say that I did not beam with pride when I told my 2 best friends to come and see the show and I have absolutely no shame in boasting when it is well deserved, I work hard. The most important thing that I will remember is the 2 minute talk I had with the designer Thomas Olubiyi @londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers/olubiyi-thomas that changed my perspective or maybe simply confirmed what I always felt: I like Fashion that tells a story, I don't care about trends.
Once I understood who I was going to walk for, I really felt pride and engaged. I finally got the mix heritage that I can see in his creation and felt connected when we had that 2 minute talk. You look at him and his face, his style, his clothes tell a story. I understood then why, I was always attracted to brands that had an identity with roots that I could identify to or feel close to. I like a story and clothes can say a lot about people and cultures. You cannot know how relieved I felt, I did have that imposter syndrome when it came to Fashion. Anyway, now that I have made peace with Fashion Week and the frenzy that goes with it, I will always be grateful for this first intimate experience. It was perfect for me, I had all afternoon to observe the preparation and only 30 seconds to do my part. Proud to have done it as an ex-agoraphobic.
That was a great experience for me and I hope to do it again.