There are some people you meet in life and you immediately understand that goodness is still real. Alexx Ikenna Ekubo-Okwareke was that person. A friend for over 20 years that stayed loyal.
Not perfect. Not performative. Just genuinely good.
The kind of man that made you say, “this one was raised right.” He carried respect naturally, laughter everywhere, and stood for truth even when it was uncomfortable.
Before the fame, before the spotlight, Alexx loved God deeply. He loved people, family, food, privacy and life itself. And somehow, even with all the noise that comes with visibility, he never lost that softness, that humanity.
What breaks my heart the most is knowing he carried so much pain over the past few years and barely spoke about it. Even in his own pain, he still found room to pray for me, encourage me, and show kindness to others.
There’s nothing I could write here that I never told him while he was here. He knew he was deeply loved by me.
We met in UNICAL as young dreamers chasing acting and impossible ideas. I eventually stepped away, but Alexx knew he belonged in front of the camera. He kept pushing until the world finally saw what we already knew.
And even after success, some things never changed. He would leave the Island to join us at COZA, and after church we would sit for hours talking about God, life, dreams and purpose.
People see the actor, the celebrity, the public figure. But I knew the human being. The friend. The heart behind the smile. The romantic guy. The family guy. The dreamer. The daddy. Alexx will talk you into believing in yourself.
Alexx, thank you for your kindness, your resilience, your laughter and the memories. You lived fully. Loudly. Beautifully.
My heart is broken, and my tongue is sealed. My prayers go out to your parents, your siblings, your wife, your cousins, your best friends - IK, CY, Yomi, UTI. Your fans, your close friends and extended loved ones.
I'll miss you terribly, daddy. You and Otu Njama can now crack all those silly private jokes
Rest well, Alexx Ikenna Ekubo-Okwareke. Chief IKUKU.
My friend. My family. Shalexx Forever. 💔
Some commentaries are funny, I won’t lie that I’ve not laughed out loud at a few. African institutions just deserve to exist fully as themselves - not only in comparison to Western ones.
#AMVCA #AfricanCreativity
#AfricanCinema #AfricanFashion
#AfricanStorytelling
Soft structure. Clear direction. Always intentional. 🦢💙
Most people have always guessed I’m Igbo… so let’s give her a name. Which one suits me? You can suggest another + meaning.
Today, I’m embracing my Igbo roots. It's my mum's birthday today and her name is ADA.
@afe.love lens on me
#RelaxedVibes #CleanGirl #ROSO #Shamazing
April almost had me… not gonna lie. That cut was deep and that was the moment I 150% accepted I could never do nursing - a career I considered last year 😅
But April, it still delivered something special ✨
That's my fine AF best friend in slide 17. And today is my other best friend's @anmaybits birthday. She's a May girl!
Slide 20: your girl offers free entertainment at the gym - live music, cultural dances, and content creation on the side 💁🏽♀️ @reyna5star@wilnacastillo_ can write a recommendation 😂🙈
May is about to be SO good. I can feel it. I hope you continue to choose the life offerings that set your soul on fire 💙
#Shamazing
I’m excited to share that I’ve just completed the AI in Design program at @prattinstitute .
Over the past few months, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of how AI can expand the way we research, ideate, and build — not just as a production tool, but as an integrated part of the creative process. And importantly, one that still relies on human insight, taste, and direction.
Learning alongside incredible instructors like Tony Jones and Dom Heinrich, this experience pushed me to think beyond prompts and outputs, and focus on systems — intelligent creative workflows, how ideas evolve, how digital experiences adapt, and how designers, creators can lead in an AI-driven landscape. You know I'll be sharing - subscribe to my YouTube 😋
My focus now is clear:
Designing AI-powered experiences at the intersection of fashion, media, and digital culture.
Grateful to the Spring 2026 cohort - truly some of the best collaborators to learn and build with.
I am now actively seeking design roles, creative collaborations, and volunteer design work, bringing a fashion-trained sensibility and media production experience to user-centered, visually driven work - powered by AI. So, bring it ON - [email protected] let's create!
Pratt, I'll be back!
#ROSO #AIDesign #PrattInstitute #CreativeDirection ExperienceDesign
03.27.26 | Still recovering
A night full of love, laughter, and a little creative chaos.
(My dress got a slice too.)
Comment "DEETS" and I'll send you the link to shop my full outfit
Photographed by @antoniosnaps
03.24.26
📍 Home → Breakfast at SoHo House → Museum of Illusions → Lunch at Chama Mama → Class at Pratt Institute → Home & in bed before 9PM.
#Turning40
Ending March with a grateful heart. 💙
1. I can do absolutely anything I set my mind to do. And I must do what feels right for me.
2. Celebrate your losses with the same energy you celebrate your wins. They are proof that you showed up, took a risk, and had the courage to try.
3. Waiting is becoming ready for what's next.
4. The perfect time never comes, stop waiting… start where you are, use what you have, and figure it out as you go.
5. You don’t need everyone to understand you. Just the right people to recognize you.
6. What is meant for you will not pass you. You must move through life believing it's all going to work out.
7. Healing is not linear, and that’s okay.
8. Some endings are protection in disguise. Time reveals everything - pay attention.
9. If you want to be powerful you have to let go of self-pity.
10. Silence is also an answer. Often the strongest one.
11. Your intuition is usually right, listen to it. Not everyone deserves access to you.
12. You're allowed to start over as many times as you need.
13. Growth will cost you people. And it's okay to lose some people, as long as you don't lose yourself.
14. Peace is more valuable than being right.
15. Love should feel safe, not confusing. Stay where you feel safest.
16. Closure is something you give yourself.
17. Grief and gratitude can exist at the same time.
18. Rest is productive. Your worth is not tied to your productivity.
19. Discipline will take you further than motivation.
20. Comparison steals your joy.
21. You are allowed to change your mind as many times as you need.
22. Boundaries are a form of self-respect. A form of self-care.
23. Rejection is often redirection. Not every opportunity is yours to take.
24. Don’t let your empathy keep you stuck in places that drain you.
25. You don’t have to prove your value to anyone.
26. Being alone is better than being misaligned. The right people will meet you where you are.
27. Forgiveness is for your freedom, not theirs.
28. You can feel fear and still move forward. You can feel fear and still feel great joy.
29. Joy is something you must choose, sometimes daily.
Fitting into a dress from 10 years ago? @iconicinvanity you are still the BEST.
Correction: I said ten years ago the first time, and the second time in my head - surprisingly it sounded like 30 years ago. So I ran with the mistake and corrected it in the captions 😂
I meant to say for my birthday shoot turning 30 in Ghana 💙
Thank you for celebrating me yesterday. You blue me away!
For the messages, the prayers, the love, the energy. I don’t take it lightly.
Every message, every call, every prayer, every kind word meant more than you know.
To be loved like this, to be seen like this… I’m grateful.
I’m stepping into this new chapter feeling ready. 💙
Photographed by @herashootsnyc
