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In an apartment filled with fabrics and boxes, Bola Adesian completed her runway show at Africa Fashion Week.
The 26-year-old fashion designer’s new collection is inspired by her models’ personal stories about wanting to be free and authentic.
“Their story line is — you don’t have to come to me and ask for their story,” she says. “It’s their own true story.”
Telling stories of just finding yourself is important to Adesian. That’s how she came to Canada eight years ago.
In the year In 2016, she came out to Nigeria as a rainbow immigrant, a person who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community. In her native Nigeria, she is not accepted for who she is.
“It wasn’t safe to go back home, you go to jail because of who you are,” the 26-year-old said.
She has been a fashion designer since coming to Canada and hopes her designs will help show them to be comfortable in their own skin.
CBC Toronto caught up with Adesian to preview her new collection.
For stories about the experiences of black Canadians — from anti-black racism to success stories in the black community — see Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians Can Be Proud of. You can read more stories here.
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