Walé Oyéjidé: Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit
Walé Oyéjidé: A moda que celebra a força e o espírito africano
TED Fellow Walé Oyéjidé combats bias with creative storytelling. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
of history are written by its victors,
foi escrita pelos vencedores,
to aspire for something greater
de almejar algo melhor,
of their own glorious pasts?
de seu passado glorioso?
as a mere maker of clothing,
como um mero estilista,
and modern textiles,
de tecidos antigos e novos,
of providing representation
of our society,
de nossa sociedade,
the most vulnerable among us
que o mais vulnerável entre nós
to compromise themselves
with an uncompromising majority.
consider to be trivial,
for dismantling bias
poderosa para destruir o preconceito
of underrepresented populations.
de grupos sub-representados.
as a vehicle for social change
como um veículo de mudança social
I know how easily the term "African"
sei facilmente que o termo "africano"
an ordinary geographic descriptor
um mero termo geográfico
from this beautiful continent,
hope for the future.
esperança no futuro.
the misguided perceptions that many have
as percepções inadequadas
acerca de meu local de nascimento,
para contar histórias,
all throughout the African diaspora.
acerca da diáspora africana.
to correct the historical record,
em corrigir um registro histórico,
where any of us is from,
by the complicated histories
pelas histórias complexas
to a foreign land.
para um outro país.
the way we view the world,
a forma como vemos o mundo
we carry around with us.
que carregamos conosco.
from different parts of the globe
de várias partes do mundo
about the importance
from classic European art
da arte clássica europeia
in roles of prominence,
em papéis de destaque,
accepted narrative of African inferiority,
aceita da inferioridade africana
for people of color
themselves depicted without sophistication
a se ver representadas sem sofisticação
alteradas culturalmente
very coincidentally wearing right now.
que coincidentemente estou usando agora.
in a structure of European classicism,
na estrutura do Classicismo europeu,
the merits of African empowerment.
os méritos do empoderamento africano.
become masterworks
se tornam obras-primas
who were once subservient.
que um dia foram submissos.
beyond the realm of art
or world-changing entrepreneurs,
ou por um empreendedor social,
the freedom to present themselves
a liberdade de se apresentarem
their own unique identities,
sua identidade única,
our true, authentic selves.
de forma real, autêntica.
in turn become more educated,
em contrapartida, ficarão mais sensíveis,
of their different points of view.
acerca de seus pontos de vista.
of diplomatic soft power.
do poder de persuasão diplomático.
can serve as bridges
podem servir como pontes
supostamente desiguais.
before you as a mere maker of clothing.
aparentemente como um mero estilista.
been about more than fashion.
to rewrite the cultural narratives
para reescrever narrativas culturais
in a new and nuanced light,
possam ser vistas sob uma nova ótica,
possamos atravessar o globo
that the stories of history
que as histórias da história
be dictated by a troubled past.
serem ditados por um passado problemático.
to tell our own stories
para contar nossas próprias histórias
for what you are about to hear?
we are coming regardless.
porque contaremos mesmo assim.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Walé Oyéjidé - Designer, writer, musician, lawyerTED Fellow Walé Oyéjidé combats bias with creative storytelling.
Why you should listen
As the founder of Ikiré Jones, Walé Oyéjidé, Esq. employs fashion design as a vehicle to celebrate the perspectives of marginalized populations.
In addition to his role as the brand's creative director, Walé Oyéjidé designs Ikiré Jones's textiles/accessories and serves as the company's writer. Oyéjidé is a TED Fellow, and his apparel design can be seen in the upcoming Marvel Studios film "Black Panther."
Oyéjidé's design work was part of the "Making Africa" contemporary design exhibit, which was at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain, the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, and the HIGH Museum of Art in Atlanta. He was also featured in the "Creative Africa" exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His work exhibited at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Fowler Museum, UCLA. He has been invited to lecture about his work in Brazil, Ecuador, France and Tanzania. His designs also appeared as part of the "Generation Africa" fashion show at Pitti Uomo 89 in Florence, Italy.
Oyéjidé's writings include freelance creative copywriting for Airbnb. He is also an attorney, public speaker, and a recording artist/producer that has collaborated with J-Dilla and MF Doom, among others. And for what it's worth, Esquire Magazine noted Oyéjidé as one of the best-dressed men in the United States.
Walé Oyéjidé | Speaker | TED.com