Walé Oyéjidé: Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit
Walé Oyéjidé: Moda që kremton forcën dhe shpirtin afrikan
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,
e historisë shkruhen nga fitimtarët,
to aspire for something greater
që të aspirojnë për diçka më të madhe
of their own glorious pasts?
ndodhitë e së shkuarës së tyre të ndritur?
as a mere maker of clothing,
si vetëm një rrobaqepës,
and modern textiles,
dhe moderne,
of providing representation
e mundësimit të përfaqësimit
of our society,
të shoqërisë tonë,
the most vulnerable among us
për më të cënueshmmit nga ne
to compromise themselves
pse të rrezikojnë
with an uncompromising majority.
më të madhe që nuk rrezikon.
consider to be trivial,
e mendojnë të parëndësishme,
for dismantling bias
i fuqishëm që të largojë paragjykimet
of underrepresented populations.
për popullsinë e nënpërfaqsuar.
as a vehicle for social change
si mjet për ndryshimet sociale
I know how easily the term "African"
e di se sa lehte fjala "Afrikan"
an ordinary geographic descriptor
tregues i thjeshtë gjeografik
from this beautiful continent,
të frymëzohesh nga kultura
hope for the future.
pavdekshme për të ardhmen.
the misguided perceptions that many have
konceptet e gabuara që mund
all throughout the African diaspora.
diasporën afrikane.
to correct the historical record,
për të korrigjuar të dhënat historike,
where any of us is from,
by the complicated histories
nga ngjarjet e koklavitura
to a foreign land.
në tokë të huaj.
the way we view the world,
si e shohim botën,
we carry around with us.
paragjykimet që i mbartim akoma.
from different parts of the globe
nga pjesë të ndryshme të globit
about the importance
from classic European art
nga arti klasik europian
in roles of prominence,
me ngjyrë në rolet kryesore,
accepted narrative of African inferiority,
të inferioritetit afrikan në hstori,
for people of color
për njerëzit me ngjyrë
themselves depicted without sophistication
të portretizuar pa sofistikim
very coincidentally wearing right now.
që kam veshur krejt rastësisht.
in a structure of European classicism,
klasicizmi europian,
the merits of African empowerment.
meritat e fuqizimit afrikan.
become masterworks
bëhen kryevepra
who were once subservient.
që dikur ishin të nënshtruar.
beyond the realm of art
përtej fushës së artit
or world-changing entrepreneurs,
sipërmarrësit që ndryshojnë botën,
the freedom to present themselves
të përfaqësojnë veten
their own unique identities,
identitetet e tyre unike,
our true, authentic selves.
tonë autentike.
in turn become more educated,
përreth tyre edukohemi më shumë,
of their different points of view.
ndaj pikëpamjeve të ndryshme të tyre.
of diplomatic soft power.
i fuqisë së butë diplomatike.
can serve as bridges
shërbejnë si ura
before you as a mere maker of clothing.
si një rrobaqepës.
been about more than fashion.
më shumë se vetëm modë.
to rewrite the cultural narratives
rishkruar ngjarjet kulturore
in a new and nuanced light,
në një dritë me nuancë të re,
that the stories of history
ndodhitë e historisë
be dictated by a troubled past.
të kontrollohet nga e shkuara shqetësuese.
to tell our own stories
të tregojmë historitë tona
for what you are about to hear?
për atë çka do dëgjoni?
ne po i sjellim gjithsesi.
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