Lagos girl who recreated Chanel looks with thrift clothes finally walks the real Chanel runway

• Rachel Ojuromi made her international runway debut at Chanel's Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris.

• She first gained attention by recreating luxury fashion looks on the streets of Lagos using thrifted clothes.

• Rachel says she refused to let lack of money stop her creativity and intentionally used ordinary Lagos locations for her videos.

• She dedicated her Chanel milestone to her mother, friends and creative team, encouraging others to keep dreaming even when nobody understands the vision.

If you've ever stumbled across videos of a young woman confidently strutting through busy Lagos streets dressed like she was heading to Paris Fashion Week, chances are you've seen Rachel Ojuromi.

Many people watched those videos for months. Some admired the confidence. Others wondered if all the effort would ever pay off.

Well, it did.

Rachel Ojuromi, popularly known online as @giverachelashot, has officially walked for Chanel after making her global runway debut at the luxury fashion house's Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris on October 5, 2026.

For someone who built a reputation by recreating Chanel-inspired looks using thrifted clothes, pieces from her wardrobe and the streets of Lagos as her backdrop, the moment felt like life coming full circle.

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Before Paris came calling, Rachel and her small creative team spent months shooting fashion videos across different parts of Lagos.

Instead of expensive studios or luxury locations, they used ordinary streets. Rather than designer outfits, they styled second-hand clothes into runway-worthy looks.

Speaking to the BBC in August, Rachel explained why.

"I make my videos on the street because I don't want money to be a limit to my creativity."

She also said the contrast between luxury fashion and everyday Lagos streets was intentional.

"The road does not look aesthetically pleasing as people will want it to be, creatively I believe creating something that is high fashion in such setting gives you a juxtaposition."

That unusual concept eventually caught people's attention online and helped push her work to a global audience.

Interestingly, modelling wasn't Rachel's childhood dream.

She revealed that she originally wanted to become a doctor and even hoped to specialise in neurosurgery.

"I am just a girl with big dreams. I even wanted to be a doctor, a neurosurgeon."

As time went on, she developed an interest in content creation, studied film, and later trained in fashion and modelling.

According to her, modelling goes beyond looking beautiful in clothes.

"Modelling is such an important job because you are representing and presenting the ideas of an entire team."

Rachel says her love for fashion started long before social media.

Her mother, Maria Osayiojuromi, sold clothes while she was growing up, exposing her to fabrics, styling and fashion from an early age.

She recalled:

"My love for thrifted clothes started as a child. It is me pulling up clothes from my wardrobe and Debby making them look good."

She also shared that her mother was reportedly in labour with her while still out buying clothes for her business.

Another major part of Rachel's journey is her close friend and neighbour, Debby, who transformed thrifted pieces into stunning outfits for many of her now-viral videos.

She also revealed that her neighbours were supportive and protective whenever she filmed on the streets, saying she never experienced harassment while creating her content.

After months of recreating Chanel-inspired fashion on Lagos roads, Rachel finally walked the real Chanel runway in Paris.

But when she shared the achievement online, she made it clear the success wasn't hers alone.

"In my long career, I pray there will be many days that will be for me, but today is not one of them; today is for US."

She dedicated the milestone to her mother, Debby, Odey, the friend who consistently filmed her videos despite working every day, and the many friends who believed in her dreams even when they seemed impossible.

Rachel ended with a message that has since inspired thousands online.

"All I am today is a vehicle, and I have been told to tell you one thing, please dream and dream and dream yourself into a life you know is possible even when nobody understands it."

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Rachel Ojuromi's story is another reminder that global opportunities don't always begin in New York, London or Paris.

Sometimes, they begin on a dusty Lagos road, with thrifted clothes, a borrowed camera, loyal friends and someone bold enough to believe that where they start doesn't have to determine where they finish.