Walé Oyéjidé: Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit
Walé Oyéjidé: Moda care celebrează puterea și spiritul african
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,
este scrisă de învingători,
to aspire for something greater
să aspire la ceva mai măreț
of their own glorious pasts?
ale trecutului lor glorios?
ca un simplu croitor,
as a mere maker of clothing,
and modern textiles,
și a textilelor moderne,
of providing representation
membrii marginalizați ai societății
of our society,
the most vulnerable among us
celor mai vulnerabili dintre noi
to compromise themselves
with an uncompromising majority.
într-o majoritate intransingentă.
consider to be trivial,
o considerăm banală,
for dismantling bias
pentru a demola prejudecăți
of underrepresented populations.
a populațiilor mai slab reprezentate.
as a vehicle for social change
ca mijloc de schimbare societală,
știu cât de ușor termenul „african”
I know how easily the term "African"
an ordinary geographic descriptor
un simplu descriptor geografic,
from this beautiful continent,
de pe acest frumos continent,
a fi inspirat de cultură
hope for the future.
the misguided perceptions that many have
percepția greșită pe care mulți o au
all throughout the African diaspora.
diasporei africane.
to correct the historical record,
de a corecta consemnările istorice,
where any of us is from,
by the complicated histories
de aceste istorii complicate
to a foreign land.
pe un tărâm străin.
the way we view the world,
we carry around with us.
pe care le purtăm cu noi.
from different parts of the globe
din diferite părți ale globului
about the importance
from classic European art
artei clasice europene
in roles of prominence,
în roluri prominente,
accepted narrative of African inferiority,
povestea acceptată istoric
for people of color
oamenilor de culoare
themselves depicted without sophistication
fără complexitate
unificatoare de culturi
very coincidentally wearing right now.
din coincidență acum.
in a structure of European classicism,
în structura clasicismului european,
the merits of African empowerment.
meritele emancipării africane.
become masterworks
devin capodopere
who were once subservient.
ce au fost odată supuși.
beyond the realm of art
în afara tărâmului artei
or world-changing entrepreneurs,
sau de antreprenori ce schimbă lumea,
the freedom to present themselves
de a se prezenta
their own unique identities,
propria lor identitate,
our true, authentic selves.
într-un mod autentic.
in turn become more educated,
devin în schimb mai educați,
of their different points of view.
cu propriile puncte de vedere.
of diplomatic soft power.
de influență diplomatică.
can serve as bridges
noastre disparate.
before you as a mere maker of clothing.
ca un simplu croitor.
been about more than fashion.
granițele modei.
to rewrite the cultural narratives
istoriile culturale
in a new and nuanced light,
într-o nouă și nuanțată lumină
that the stories of history
că poveștile istoriei
be dictated by a troubled past.
să fie dictat de trecutul tulburat.
to tell our own stories
propriile povești
for what you are about to hear?
we are coming regardless.
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