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It is often said that the stories[br]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[br]to aspire for something greater

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

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

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but within the folds of ancient fabrics[br]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[br]of providing representation

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for the marginalized members[br]of our society,

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and the importance of telling[br]the most vulnerable among us

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that they no longer have[br]to compromise themselves

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just so they can fit in[br]with an uncompromising majority.

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It turns out that fashion,

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a discipline many of us[br]consider to be trivial,

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can actually be a powerful tool[br]for dismantling bias

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and bolstering the self-images[br]of underrepresented populations.

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My interest in using design[br]as a vehicle for social change

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happens to be a personal one.

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As a Nigerian American,[br]I know how easily the term "African"

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can slip from being[br]an ordinary geographic descriptor

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to becoming a pejorative.

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For those of us[br]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[br]hope for the future.

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So in an attempt to shift[br]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[br]all throughout the African diaspora.

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I tell these stories

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as a concerted effort[br]to correct the historical record,

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because, no matter[br]where any of us is from,

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each of us has been touched[br]by the complicated histories

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that brought our families[br]to a foreign land.

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These histories shape[br]the way we view the world,

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and they mold the biases[br]we carry around with us.

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To combat these biases,

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my work draws aesthetics[br]from different parts of the globe

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and crafts a narrative[br]about the importance

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of fighting for inclusivity.

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By refashioning images[br]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[br]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[br]accepted narrative of African inferiority,

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and it serves as inspiration[br]for people of color

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who have grown wary of seeing[br]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[br]very coincidentally wearing right now,

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(Laughter)

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and even when surrounded[br]in a structure of European classicism,

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these narratives boldly extoll[br]the merits of African empowerment.

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In this way, the tools of the masters[br]become masterworks

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to celebrate those[br]who were once subservient.

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This metaphor extends[br]beyond the realm of art

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and out into the real world.

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Whether worn by refugees[br]or world-changing entrepreneurs,

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when people are allowed[br]the freedom to present themselves

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in a manner that celebrates[br]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[br]our true, authentic selves.

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

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more open, and more tolerant[br]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[br]of diplomatic soft power.

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The clothes that we wear[br]can serve as bridges

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between our seemingly disparate cultures.

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

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But my work has always[br]been about more than fashion.

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It has become my purpose[br]to rewrite the cultural narratives

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so that people of color can be seen[br]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[br]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[br]be dictated by a troubled past.

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Today, we stand ready[br]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[br]for what you are about to hear?

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I hope you are, because[br]we are coming regardless.

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(Applause)