This Teen Who Amazed us with Her Prom Dress Designed Gown for BET Awards

Photo: Kyemah McEntyre / Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

Kyemah McEntyre, the high school senior who designed an epic prom dress that broke the internet, made her mark on the red carpet last night at the 2015 BET Awards.

The 18-year-old designed a dress for singer and actress Naturi Naughton who currently stars as Tasha St. Patrick on the Starz drama "Power." Naughton who is from the same home town (East Orange, New Jersey) as McEntyre, sought out the young designer to create a gown that would honor her Africa roots.
McEntyre told the blog Necole Bitchie how this opportunity came about:

Naturi contacted me through e-mail, and we talked over the phone about her ideal dress. She explained to me that she wanted to connect with her African roots as well. I explained to her that my prom dress was my first design ever and that her design would be my second. So, of course, I asked her to bare with me. Naturi and her beautiful soul welcomed me despite my experience with Fashion Designing. She wanted to shed light on young people from her community [East Orange, New Jersey] and that she did. I enlisted a local seamstress by the name of Markell Mockabee, who brought my design to life.

McEntyre's biggest goal continues to be inspiring young girls, she tells Necole Bitchie.

As a result of going viral, my mailbox has changed in numbers, but my faith and my drive has not changed. People ask me all the time how does it feel, and I tell them it’s just amazing to be celebrated for just being myself. I consider myself to be an artist, fashion designer, and self-identity activist. I actually planned on people to recognize my dress locally, because I wanted to inspire little girls to be themselves, however, it this has definitely exceeded my expectations.

View Naturi Naughton's beautiful afro-centirc gown designed by Kyemah McEntyre below.