A rising force on the runway, Chinonso Nelson shares her journey from her Lagos classrooms to global catwalks, balancing modelling, art, and purpose.
From offsite shows like Banke Kuku to GTCO Fashion Weekend, it is impossible to miss the model who, despite being 5 feet 8 inches, has a presence eclipsing taller models. This is Chinonso Nelson.
At just 23, the Nigerian supermodel and creative artist Chinonso Nelson is already a familiar force on the runway, commanding fashion weeks, scoring big campaigns, and landing major shows. But behind the poise and power is a young woman, at the University of Lagos (Unilag), who started chasing her dream early, navigating rejection and the realities of Lagos hustle with remarkable elegance.
Being a model in Nigeria comes with many struggles, and reaching the top is as complex as it is dreamy. Luckily, Chinonso got her breakout moment a few years into the industry. Those who watch Lagos Fashion Week closely will remember it — the moment Chinonso gracefully removed a faulty shoe mid-walk and finished the runway barefoot, unfazed.
“That was 2022,” she recalls, “I realised the shoe was slipping off my foot, and there was no way to stop and fix it. It was either take it off or trip. So I took it off and kept going. I knew the priority was to complete the show.”
It’s a moment that solidified her reputation: adaptable and composed.
In this exclusive interview, Chinonso opens up about starting her career at 17, the decision to defer university for modelling, an unforgettable runway mishap, and how she’s balancing fashion, teaching, and her creative brand, By Nono.
The scout that changed it all: How Chinonso Nelson became a model
Chinonso’s path into modelling represents a shift from traditional road scouting that is typically associated with most supermodels. Her career began with a DM.
“I started modelling officially in 2019,” she recalls. “I was scouted by my then mother agency via Instagram. That’s how I got into modelling professionally here in Nigeria.”
She was a teenager, bubbling with excitement but unprepared for the wave of rejections that would come with her first steps into the industry. Chinonso might have earned her reputation strutting on the runway, but she was once a rookie who didn’t meet the height requirements.
“I was always an inch or half an inch shorter than requirements,” she reflects on her earlier days, “It was my biggest hurdle.”
However, she refused to let that define her because she really saw herself being a part of the industry. “I had always wanted to model all my life… so it was exciting to start that early. But it was overwhelming too. I was pretty young, new in the industry, and the number of rejections stung me; I wasn’t anticipating that. But I was focused on my goals and passions of modelling.”
Six years later, Chinonso doesn’t have this issue anymore; now her challenges and passions are on the mistreatment of models in the nation.
“I think models deserve better treatment. Better payments, better accommodations, better feeding, and better regard for their mental health. Even the littlest of things matter. That’s a challenge now.”
When it comes to challenges, Chinonso is no stranger, and a major one is balancing her studies with her full-time career.
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Balancing her studies and her dream
“When I started university, I had to figure out how to balance,” she explains. “If I had tests or exams, I had to pause modelling because I wouldn’t want to miss them.”
Fashion runways are not the only runways that she loves to strut on. In 2023, she went viral on TikTok for her videos captioned, “Day in the life of a University student who ran away to model in Barcelona.”
She laughs uncontrollably at the memory of this. While many young models struggle to juggle academics with runway demands, she had paused school when she started. But the university eventually came calling — and with it, the need to make a choice. For three months, she chose modelling in Spain.
“When I needed to go international, I had to defer a semester. It was a bold step, but I knew modelling would always come first. My family supported me, and that made all the difference.”
This was her first European trip, and it was an education in both culture and career.
“It was very calm,” she says, laughing at the contrast to Lagos. “There was no rush, no hustle or bustle. It wasn’t fashion season, so work wasn’t as rapid as I thought, but I did a few jobs. After the first month, I really got the hang of living there.”
Lucky for her, she went during the late spring, early summer period, so the weather was not a problem for her to adjust to. But all good things come to an end, and when her time was up, she had to return to Lagos for her next semester.
Life beyond modelling: Teacher, artist, and creative
Fashion means a lot to Chinonso. It is a career she has constantly fought for, and she explains that this is because it is more than clothes to her. It is self-expression, acting, and storytelling.
“My favourite part of modelling is being able to tell the story the designer wants,” she says. “We don’t just wear clothes. We tell stories. People only see the results, but they don’t see what goes into it, the rehearsals, the work, the effort. They only see the glitz.”
Modelling has several categories, and models often have to go from still faces on runways to expressive looks in campaigns. When it comes to choosing between runway and editorial, the answer is clear. “I would say runway. I like the energy. When I step onto the runway, any anxiety disappears. It’s my time.”
When she’s off her time on the runway, her studies in Guidance and Counselling, paired with an arts degree, led her into teaching as part of her academic path.
Few people know that Chinonso is also a creative arts teacher and a practising artist — roles she balances alongside school and modelling.
“I haven’t rested since fashion week,” she admits. “I’m teaching in a school and also working as their counsellor as part of my course in my Bachelor’s degree. I have so much going on these days.”
Busy is an understated adjective for what Chinonso has been these days. Her entire November was marked by fashion shows. Despite the stress, she loves the runway, and of all her runway moments this season, she has a favourite. “I loved walking for Tongoro at GTCO Fashion Weekend 2025.”
“I opened the show, so I had to set the tone and the energy,” Chinonso recalls proudly. “The rehearsal for that show was intense — like five times or more. I was going from one designer to another. It was an extremely busy day, but I pushed myself. It turned out really well.”
What’s next for Chinonso Nelson
Despite the pressures, despite stolen phones and jam-packed schedules, Chinonso shows up — on runways, in classrooms, in her own creative universe — with a calm determination that belies her age. She has a lot of ideas for the future, and her answer comes without hesitation.
“I still see myself modelling, just in a different region, in a wider space. I want to expand my brand.”
By her brand, she means By Nono, a creative and photography brand covering arts and fashion. “It’s everything by me. I’m a very creative person, so I want to build it as much as I can.”
While her brand and career mean a lot to her, she confides in me that she doesn’t have thoughts of the future these days. Her time is mostly consumed by a passion for the present, the imminent holiday season. “I have been so outside these past weeks, I just have one desire in this moment, I want to go home and relax. I miss everyone.”
