“Fashion Doesn’t Make Me Less Serious” – Chimamanda Adichie Speaks on Style and Identity

Published

1 year ago

August 26, 2025

Ese Ohwofa

Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie speaks about her fashion sense and why she loves fashion.

During a recent interview, the author revealed that she had to limit her interest in fashion in order to be taken seriously as a writer.

“For some people, liking fashion means you’re not a serious person. So I went through a period of pretending because I wanted to be taken seriously as a writer.”

She then shared that she was later tired of downplaying her interest and openly came out, writing about it, and she also spoke about her love for Nigerian brands.

“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.”