Fashionably great
EUNICE Olumide grew up on an Edinburgh housing estate before finding fame on catwalks around the globe.
She has worked for some of the biggest names in fashion including Prada and Mulberry.
Her life as a supermodel is far removed from her childhood in Wester Hailes but she hasn’t forgotten her roots.
Eunice was the worthy recipient of an MBE for charity work and mentoring youngsters.
She deservedly takes her place among the other high-achieving Scots recognised in an exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland.
Her story should act as inspiration to all young people with dreams.
A SUPERMODEL has donated her MBE to a museum in the hope it will inspire future generations.
Edinburgh-born Eunice Olumide was awarded the honour by the Queen last year for her extensive charity work mentoring young Scots.
The 30-year-old, who works all over the world for names like Prada, Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, initially debated whether to accept the honour due to its association with the British Empire.
She has now handed it over to the National Museum of Scotland to show others how she went on to achieve her dreams despite a tough council estate upbringing.
The MBE has gone on display along with her school ties, a copy of her book How to Get into Fashion and other items that tell her story as part of an exhibit called Scotland: A Changing Nation.
Eunice, who married gymnast Steve Frew, a 2002 BY SALLY HIND s.hind@dailyrecord.co.uk Commonwealth Games champion, in the summer, grew up on the Wester Hailes housing scheme in Edinburgh. Her parents had moved to Scotland from Nigeria. She said: “I was quite shocked when I got the MBE. I had to think about it a lot to decide if I wanted to accept it. “When I think of MBE, I think of monarchy and the Empire – and, obviously, that’s something that I don’t at all agree with. “So I spoke to my family and Mum, and she explained to me about her journey and what it was like coming to the UK, then working here. “So I wanted to accept the award more to inspire the people that I work with and just to show that it is possible to be seen and be heard and be respected for your work, regardless of where you come from.” The National Museum of Scotland exhibition traces the experiences of people in 20th century Scotland through five themes: war, industry, daily life, emigration and politics.