behind the genius: chichi offor
I met Chichi when we were both studying fashion at UGA. I have always admired her joyful, outgoing personality and the way her style reflects that so perfectly. Chichi loves to laugh and spreads happy light-heartedness wherever she goes. We went on a study trip to New York for a week together and one of my favorite memories from the whole trip was walking through Little Italy with her, crying laughing about who knows what as we searched for the perfect slice of pizza and scoop of gelato. She now lives in a real life NYC dream and I admire her unwavering hustle so much. If you haven't already, check out her column Chichi Explains It All!
TELL US ABOUT YOU!
Hey pals, I’m Chinazor Anita Offor AKA Chichi AKA the best human you’ve ever come across. My name probably sounds a little different. That’s probably because it is. My folks were born and raised in Nigeria which basically means I can get away with attempting an African accent without it being problematic.
Who I am today is a result of many things. Some of these are (but not limited to) my big fam of six peeps, my aforementioned bicultural upbringing, my love of hot boys in bands, being black in white suburbia, my love of hot boys in television, and my style awakening by way of Disney Channel and Seventeen Magazine.
WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS / DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE?
That’s a big one. I guess I would say that the future is ever changing and so are my dreams/career goals. I did move to NY to pursue that magazine editor’s life, but I have a great many interest outside of that world that I want to pursue as well. Trying to pinpoint ONE thing I want to do for the rest of my life is just about impossible. I believe that I’ll do multiple fantastic things at different points in my life. I don’t like to be put in a box and neither do my dreams, baby!!!
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT LATELY? (LISTENING TO / WATCHING / WORKING ON / DAYDREAMING ABOUT?)
Due to the fact that I watch more TV/movies than most people, the list is really long, so I’ll mention a few. I recently purchased a Moviepass. I have now seen 20 movies in less than seven weeks, including the two times I’ve seen Love, Simon. TV is doing some cool things, and I’ve really liked seeing different stories told. On My Block and Everything Sucks on Netflix are some really cool programs that show what it’s like growing up for minority kids. I particularly relate to Everything Sucks because it centers around an incredibly creative black boy growing up in (mainly) white suburbia.
Pale Waves is a new band that I recently fell into. Their song “The Tide” is a banger, just saying. I never stop listening to my girl Maggie Rogers, and I’ve gotten back into Rooney. My first love, Jesse McCartney just came out with “Better With You” which rings in a nostalgia felt by his earlier albums like Beautiful Soul and Right Where You Want Me.
I’m working on getting some more pics in my maybe modeling portfolio, and I started a food instagram (@chichieatswhat).
WHO DO YOU ADMIRE?
My mother is probably the one person I most admire in the world. She has taught me a lot about walking through the world with a big heart and lots of compassion. What can I say? My mama’s got my heart!
WHAT DOES STYLE MEAN TO YOU?
I’m still learning this, but in a lot of ways it’s pretty personal. It’s kind of a look into who a person is or feels like being at any given time. It’s there regardless of what outfit you’re wearing because it’s almost like a ghost that’s present in all you do.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE GO-TO LOOK LATELY?
It’s been pretty cold up here in New York, so my clothes often reflect that. I’ve worn a lot more darker colors. It’s normally a combo of denim or velvet pants, sweater, sneakers or black booties. All of this is typically covered by my trash bag of a puffer coat, but hey, it keeps me warm.
I can’t wait for warmer weather because I miss bright colors, dresses, skirts, and hats!
WHAT DOES SELF CARE MEAN TO YOU?
Self care to me is two things. Being your own biggest fan and building self-awareness.
I love myself and I think most people who know me are aware of this. I truly think I’m an extra special blessing for all those I encounter. However I’m working on self-awareness. I feel like that’s the next step I need to take in order to truly know how to care for myself. I haven’t always been the best at recognizing my feelings and current state of being, so I working on knowing myself more every day.
