Globally celebrated Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has revealed why she stopped downplaying her love for fashion and began proudly embracing her passion for style, especially Nigerian brands.
In a candid conversation with YouTuber Folashade Samagbeyi, the award-winning writer explained that she once felt pressured to hide her interest in fashion in order to be taken seriously in her career. According to her, society often links glamour and beauty with a lack of depth, leaving women in politics, literature, and other high-profile spaces feeling like they must suppress their love for fashion to maintain credibility.
“For some people, liking fashion means you’re not a serious person,” she admitted. “So I went through a period of pretending because I wanted to be taken seriously as a writer. I was also tired of pretending that I wasn’t interested in fashion, when in fact I was. I’m interested in hair and makeup, so I thought that if I talked about it publicly, other women like me would feel they didn’t have to pretend.”
The 47-year-old mother of three revealed that embracing fashion publicly became a form of empowerment, not just for herself but for other women who share the same struggle of balancing femininity with intellectual respect.
“Part of the reason I started talking about fashion is because many women who are into politics, who have ideas, also like fashion. Why should we pretend?” she said.
Chimamanda further explained that her style choices go beyond personal preference. Her deliberate decision to wear mostly Nigerian brands even though foreign designers regularly send her clothes is part of what she calls “fashion nationalism.”
“Choosing to wear mostly Nigerian brands, which I started doing a number of years ago, was something I did intentionally. For me, it is a kind of fashion nationalism,” she stated. “I’m fortunate to have this platform, and I’ve gotten to a point where foreign designers would send me clothes. So I thought it was a great opportunity to start wearing Nigerian brands. It’s just a subtle way of showing up for my people.”
Through her style, Chimamanda continues to champion local creativity, reminding the world that Nigerian fashion deserves global recognition.
