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It is often said that the stories
of history are written by its victors,

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but if this is true,

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what becomes of the downtrodden,

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and how can they ever hope
to aspire for something greater

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if they are never told the stories
of their own glorious pasts?

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Ostensibly, I stand before you
as a mere maker of clothing,

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but within the folds of ancient fabrics
and modern textiles,

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I have found a higher calling.

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Through my work as a designer,

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I've discovered the importance
of providing representation

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for the marginalized members
of our society,

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and the importance of telling
the most vulnerable among us

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that they no longer have
to compromise themselves

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just so they can fit in
with an uncompromising majority.

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It turns out that fashion,

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a discipline many of us
consider to be trivial,

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can actually be a powerful tool
for dismantling bias

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and bolstering the self-images
of underrepresented populations.

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My interest in using design
as a vehicle for social change

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happens to be a personal one.

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As a Nigerian-American,
I know how easily the term "African"

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can slip from being
an ordinary geographic descriptor

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to becoming a pejorative.

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For those of us from
this beautiful continent,

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to be African is to be inspired by culture

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and to be filled with undying
hope for the future.

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So in an attempt to shift
the misguided perceptions that many have

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about the place of my birth,

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I use design as a means to tell stories,

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stories about joy,

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stories about triumph,

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stories about perseverance
all throughout the African diaspora.

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I tell these stories

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as a concerted effort
to correct the historical record,

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because, no matter
where any of us is from,

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each of us has been touched
by the complicated histories

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that brought our families
to a foreign land.

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These histories shape
the way we view the world,

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and they mold the biases
we carry around with us.

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To combat these biases,

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my work draws aesthetics
from different parts of the globe

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and crafts a narrative
about the importance

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of fighting for inclusivity.

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By refashioning images
from classic European art

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and marrying them with African aesthetics,

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I am able to recast people of color
in roles of prominence,

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providing them with a degree of dignity

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they didn't have in earlier times.

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This approach subverts the historically
accepted narrative of African inferiority,

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and it serves as inspiration
for people of color

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who have grown wary of seeing
themselves depicted without sophistication

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and without grace.

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Each of these culture-bending tapestries

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becomes a tailored garment

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or a silk scarf, like the one I am
very coincidentally wearing right now,

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and even when surrounded
in a structure of European classicism,

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these narratives boldly extoll
the merits of African empowerment.

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In this way, the tools of the masters

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become masterworks

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to celebrate those
who were once subservient.

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This metaphor extends
beyond the realm of art

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and out into the real world.

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Whether worn by refugees
or world-changing entrepreneurs,

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when people are allowed
the freedom to present themselves

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in a manner that celebrates
their own unique identities,

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a magical thing happens.

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We stand taller.

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We're more proudly self-aware,

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because we're presenting
our true, authentic selves.

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And those of us who are around them
in turn become more educated,

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more open, and more tolerant
of their different points of view.

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In this way, the clothes that we wear

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can be a great illustration
of diplomatic soft power.

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The clothes that we wear
can serve as bridges

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between our seemingly disparate cultures.

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And so, yeah, ostensibly I stand
before you as a mere maker of clothing.

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But my work has always
been about more than fashion.

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It has become my purpose
to rewrite the cultural narratives

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so that people of color can be seen
in a new and nuanced light,

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and so that we,

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the proud children of Sub-Saharan Africa,

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can traverse the globe

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while carrying ourselves with pride.

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It was indeed true
that the stories of history

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were told by its old victors,

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but I am of a new generation.

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My work speaks for those

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who will no longer let their futures
be dictated by a troubled past.

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Today, we stand ready
to tell our own stories

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without compromise, without apologies,

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but the question still remains:

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are you prepared for what you
are about to hear?

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I hope you are, because
we are coming regardless.

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(Applause)