Source: Vincent Sandoval / Getty
Never underestimate the power of social media. Earlier this month, high school Senior
Kyemah McEntyre posted a picture of her self-designed prom dress alongside an empowering, anti-bullying message.
The image quickly went viral. Shared by millions, the New Jersey
teen’s mesmerizing red gown boasted a regal African print, a plunging
neckline and a full skirt. The extensive coverage of Kyemah’s dress on
Yahoo, Huffington Post and more, eventually made its way to “Power” star
Naturi Naughton.
Source: Paul Archuleta / Getty
Naturi immediately tapped Kyemah to design a dress for the BET
Awards, making one of the Parsons College-bound designer’s biggest
dreams come true. “Naturi contacted me through e-mail, and we talked
over the phone about her ideal dress,” Kyemah told
Necole Bitchie.
“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.”
Source: Paul Archuleta / Getty
New to the design world, Kyemah has already displayed tremendous
class and grace in the face of her newfound fame. She said despite the
attention, her initial goal is still the same: to use her platform and
skills to inspire young girls “to be themselves.” Naturi had a similar
reason for wanting to wear Kyemah’s orange fishtail-hemmed gown.
“[Naturi] wanted to shed light on young people from her community [East
Orange, New Jersey],” Kyemah said.
Source: Paul Archuleta / Getty
As a fellow New Jersey native, I couldn’t be more proud of this
display of sisterhood between two supremely-talented young women from
East Orange. Given their shared African roots and New Jersey connection,
Naturi Naughton was the perfect choice to model Kyemah’s designs on the
red carpet for the first time. And something tells me it won’t be the
last.
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