Name: 【TED】Walé Oyéjidé: Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit (Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit | Walé Oyéjidé)
Uploaded: 2018-03-08T16:22:38.000Z
Duration: 4 min 55 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Basic passive voice

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

and how can they ever hope to aspire for something greater

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

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

but within the folds of ancient fabrics and modern textiles,

I've discovered the importance of providing representation

for the marginalized members of our society,

and the importance of telling the most vulnerable among us

that they no longer have to compromise themselves

just so they can fit in with an uncompromising majority.

a discipline many of us consider to be trivial,

can actually be a powerful tool for dismantling bias

and bolstering the self-images of underrepresented populations.

My interest in using design as a vehicle for social change

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

can slip from being an ordinary geographic descriptor

For those of us from this beautiful continent,

to be African is to be inspired by culture

and to be filled with undying hope for the future.

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

stories about perseverance all throughout the African diaspora.

as a concerted effort to correct the historical record,

because, no matter where any of us is from,

each of us has been touched by the complicated histories

that brought our families to a foreign land.

These histories shape the way we view the world,

and they mold the biases we carry around with us.

my work draws aesthetics from different parts of the globe

and crafts a narrative about the importance

By refashioning images from classic European art

and marrying them with African aesthetics,

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

This approach subverts the historically accepted narrative of African inferiority,

and it serves as inspiration for people of color

who have grown wary of seeing themselves depicted without sophistication

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

And even when surrounded in a structure of European classicism,

these narratives boldly extoll the merits of African empowerment.

In this way, the tools of the masters become masterworks

to celebrate those who were once subservient.

This metaphor extends beyond the realm of art

Whether worn by refugees or world-changing entrepreneurs,

when people are allowed the freedom to present themselves

in a manner that celebrates their own unique identities,

because we're presenting our true, authentic selves.

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

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

can be a great illustration of diplomatic soft power.

The clothes that we wear can serve as bridges

between our seemingly disparate cultures.

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

But my work has always been about more than fashion.

It has become my purpose to rewrite the cultural narratives

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

the proud children of sub-Saharan Africa,

It was indeed true that the stories of history

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

Today, we stand ready to tell our own stories

are you prepared for what you are about to hear?

I hope you are, because we are coming regardless.