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Remember Kyemah McEntyre, the stunning high school senior who broke the Internet with her gorgeous Afro-centric prom dress just three weeks ago?
Well, the college-bound beauty is now making her mark on the red carpet!
Tonight, during the 2015 BET Awards red carpet, Power actress Naturi Naughton captured viewers attention when she showed up in a beautifully-designed dress created by Kyemah.The orange V-neck number included an African-printed skirt and fishtail hem, specifically requested by Naturi who wanted to pay homage to her African roots.
So how did it all happen for the 18-year-old budding designer? And so fast?
Weeks ago, after Kyemah posted her custom-made prom dress on Instagram, the dress and her inspiring message on anti-bullying and self acceptance garnered coverage across the globe including Yahoo, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. (Her story attracted over 1.5 million visitors to this site alone in 2 days).
Naturi’s desire to support young talent from her hometown inspired the actress to reach out to Kyemah with her ideas and the rest is BET Awards red carpet history.
We spoke to Kyemah exclusively who told us that the experience was a dream come true, considering her prom dress was her first design ever.
Despite the recognition, Kyemah says that her drive hasn’t changed much, however, her biggest goal is to inspire young women.
Catch up with Kyemah on her new Instagram (MindOfKye_) and on Twitter (KyeTheCreator).
Remember Kyemah McEntyre, the stunning high school senior who broke the Internet with her gorgeous Afro-centric prom dress just three weeks ago?
Well, the college-bound beauty is now making her mark on the red carpet!
Tonight, during the 2015 BET Awards red carpet, Power actress Naturi Naughton captured viewers attention when she showed up in a beautifully-designed dress created by Kyemah.The orange V-neck number included an African-printed skirt and fishtail hem, specifically requested by Naturi who wanted to pay homage to her African roots.
So how did it all happen for the 18-year-old budding designer? And so fast?
Weeks ago, after Kyemah posted her custom-made prom dress on Instagram, the dress and her inspiring message on anti-bullying and self acceptance garnered coverage across the globe including Yahoo, Daily Mail, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. (Her story attracted over 1.5 million visitors to this site alone in 2 days).
Naturi’s desire to support young talent from her hometown inspired the actress to reach out to Kyemah with her ideas and the rest is BET Awards red carpet history.
We spoke to Kyemah exclusively who told us that the experience was a dream come true, considering her prom dress was her first design ever.
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.Not bad for a new high school grad who hasn’t stepped foot into design school yet.
Despite the recognition, Kyemah says that her drive hasn’t changed much, however, her biggest goal is to inspire young women.
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.We are beyond elated for Kyemah! During another recent interview with a local news WPIX, the 18-year-old said she wanted to be the voice of her generation and she will continue to shine positive light on young women. She’s definitely doing a marvelous job so far!
Catch up with Kyemah on her new Instagram (MindOfKye_) and on Twitter (KyeTheCreator).