If you thought wearing African prints was a prom fashion don’t, you need a rethink — because times are changing, and now more than ever, 17-year-old Makalaya Zanders of Garfield Heights High School, Ohio, have just proved that wearing African prints to a prom can in fact not only be incredibly chic, but everyone has the right to embrace their own cultural style.
According to the report, when Makalaya Zanders wanted to wear an African printed dress to her high school prom, a teacher made the hurtful comment that it “wasn’t really something you wear to prom.” But because Makalaya was so inspired by the Ankara gown a Nigerian model Jessica Chibueze had worn to a gala, she snubbed the teacher’s disapproval and went ahead to create a figure-hugging mermaid style (done by designer DeAndre Crenshaw) which highlighted every inch of her curves.
Makalaya afterwards made a statement on her Instagram page which has since been made private — “My dress was to make a point. That African style is beautiful. That I am comfortable with my Melanin and roots,”
She even told ABC News — “I didn’t grow up with black Barbies besides Brandy. As a young girl, I thought I didn’t fit that standard, traditional definition of beautiful.”
But interestingly, the teacher had no option than to apologize to Makalaya after the dress went viral, which she reportedly did.
And not only do we love the style as a way to really highlight your curves in any ankle, but also we love the fact that this happens to be the second time African prints prom dress is going viral, if you remember Kyemah McEntyre, who designed her own prom dress last year.
Photo: Makalaya Zanders
Photo: Makalaya Zanders
Photo: Makalaya Zanders
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