In 2025, being a fashion director is a demanding and multi-faceted role. For Élodie Ouédraogo, fashion is a unique way to promote values that are dear to her and her community. In fact, the industry has been increasingly vocal about certain issues that are key for global audiences, such as racial diversity, social inclusiveness, and design sustainability.

So far, Ouédraogo has been able to juggle demands from advertisers while promoting exciting new Belgian names, whether they be artists, musicians, photographers, or designers. Finding the right balance between creativity and commerce, she has made fashion content in Elle Belgium inspiring and uplifting, which is no easy task considering the current print crisis.

We sat down with Ouédraogo during the Fashion Talks in Antwerp to talk about what kind of reality magazines should be reflecting today, where her interest in clothes actually comes from, and why she’s always been creative with fashion since her childhood.

As fashion director of Elle Belgium, how do you envisage your role today?

I think inclusivity is a fundamental value for me. I went from a career as an athlete to entertainment, then fashion, without ever seeing role models I could truly relate to. I had to fight to get to where I am now, and nothing has been easy in my life. Things changed a lot for me after I became a parent and started wondering what kind of path my child would have. I’ve always been proud of my achievements, but when I arrived at Elle I was very aware that the challenge would be to reflect reality within the magazine, which of course means even more diversity and inclusivity. I want young people to read it and be able to identify with what they see on our pages. I think being represented is crucial. That’s what motivates me, and it’s also something that feels very close to my heart.

What was the first big step you took in your first year as a fashion director?

Putting an image of Mous Lambarat on the cover of the September issue last year was quite a strong statement for me. I want to use the pages of the magazine to promote upcoming Belgian brands as well. I love wearing creations from Meryll Rogge, Julie Kegels or Marie-Adam Leenaerdt. Fashion can’t be just about the big brands and we have wonderfully talented designers in Belgium. Of course, there’s a commercial reality that needs to be taken into account, too, but as a fashion director I find it important to feature independent brands.

Do you think progress has been made in the industry already?

There’s definitely more awareness when it comes to inclusivity and diversity, at the same time the danger is that we go back to our old ways as an industry. Body diversity is not a trend, but a reality within our world. At Elle, we enjoy featuring different body types and not just stereotypically thin models. Of course, dressing someone who is not sample-sized requires more effort and inventiveness when you’re in charge of the styling, but when all the elements align you do get a fantastic picture. Magazines need to reflect realness nowadays.

The new wave of Belgian fashion is mostly led by female designers. How do you feel about that generation of upcoming talents?

I think it’s amazing that there are those great female designers in Belgium right now and I do hope that they are in it for the long term. In an industry that is sadly still focused on promoting men, it becomes more important to support and nurture leading female voices.

Throughout the Fashion Talks today, we’ve seen you wear incredible pieces from Belgian brands, and it’s obvious that you love fashion. Where does your passion for clothing come from?

My mother could sew and used to make garments for me and my siblings. We didn’t have much money back then, so I used to draw clothes and my mother would then select fabrics and make them at home. I’ve had to be creative from a very early age, and later on in my career I still had things made for me, because they fit better and were the kind of clothes I truly wanted. I’ve been criticized for some of the outfits I wore on television, and sometimes the attacks -and comments- were quite nasty or just racist.

Do you think being trained as an athlete helped you develop a thick skin?

Absolutely. You have to be disciplined and stick to your goal. When people say no to me, it tends to push me even more. So, I don’t take no for an answer, and do not take anything in life for granted either.

What’s your involvement with the Fashion Talks this year and what exactly did you do for them?

What’s your involvement with the Fashion Talks this year and what exactly did you do for them?

With my colleague Elspeth Jenkins, who is the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Belgium, we were asked by the organizers of Fashion Talks to select the guest speakers while not focusing on the usual suspects. I think we managed to gather distinctive voices not only from Belgium, but also from Europe, the UK and the US.

How would you define beauty?

Beauty is acceptance, honesty and feeling good about yourself. It’s about confidence, too, and you won’t get it buying another designer handbag. True confidence comes from within and when you’ve got it you don’t need to flaunt it.