Meghan champions talented local designer during Nigeria trip
The Duchess of Sussex was a vision in a ruffled red dress as she hosted a Women in Leadership panel in Nigeria over the weekend.
Meghan co-hosted the event with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation, with a goal of highlighting the importance of female leadership and empowerment in driving positive change globally.
Fittingly, the duchess chose to champion a local talent for the occasion, and looked radiant in a red dress by Orire — an emerging female designer from Nigeria — which featured thin spaghetti straps and a ruffled hem. She accessorised sparingly with a diamond tennis necklace, gold bracelets, and a diamond ring. She polished off her look with simple nude sandals, and kept her dark hair slicked back in a bun.
The event, held for an audience of 50 leading women from across Nigerian society and politics, business, media and culture, kicked off with the duchess and Dr. Okonjo-Iweala taking part in a panel discussion, moderated by the Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu, who runs Africa’s first global black entertainment lifestyle network.
After the introductions, Abudu asked how the duchess felt about finding out she was Nigerian. "Well, firstly, thank you all so much for being here; I am just flattered and honoured and inspired," she responded, before referencing her choice of attire. "It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and I very quickly got the memo than I need to wear more colour so I can fit in with all of you in your incredible fashion!"
She then continued: "I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you've all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country,” before adding to applause, “my country”.
Meghan explained that the first thing she did when she discovered her heritage “was call my mom, because I wanted to know if she had any awareness of it”. The duchess added that it was exciting for both of them to discover more about their African-American background, and that the process was “really eye-opening and humbling”. Moderator Abudu then added that the audience would have to decide on a Nigerian name for Meghan.
After Abudu outlined the importance of women in power, the duchess spoke on the impact of representation: "You need to at least be a familiar face for the next generation to say, 'oh, she looks like me. I can be that'." Success isn’t defined by leaving home, she said, but rather from coming home and shifting generational patterns. "I hope that I could do justice to the role model that I think so many young women deserve to have," she continued.
Being a role model doesn’t always mean being serious and strong, Meghan added. "You can be a woman, you can be beautiful and intelligent. You can be powerful and playful; they can coexist." She cited a lesson from her own personal mentor, Bonnie Hammer, the vice chairman of NBC. "[Work/life] balance will always change for you. That balance, what seemed balanced 10 years ago is going to shift. And so being a mom has always been a dream of mine. And I'm so fortunate that we have two beautiful, healthy, very chatty sweet children."
Meghan’s event comes after she and Harry attended a training session for the charity organisation Nigeria: Unconquered that morning. For the occasion, Meghan pulled out a cutout zebra-print dress from Johanna Ortiz, pairing the look with a stack of gold bangles and matching gold earrings.
After participating in the training session, the couple arrived at a reception hosted by the Chief of Defence Staff in honour of military families. There, the duchess upped the glam in a white strapless gown, which matched Prince Harry's own cream linen suit. Meghan accessorised with a gold pendant necklace and the same bracelets she wore earlier in the day.
The Sussexes kicked off their visit to Nigeria on Friday, when they stopped at a school to learn about their new mental-health initiative and enjoyed a dance display by the children. Later, they met with Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa at the Defence Headquarters in the heart of Abuja, the West African country’s capital.
For the first occasion, Meghan looked lovely in a backless silk dress in a soft peach shade. And for the second engagement, she changed into a sleek white suit with flared trousers.
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