The US teenagers wowed by African prom dresses
"I felt like a princess," says US teenager Brianna LeDoux about her prom gown which she specially commissioned from Nigeria.
"I wanted my dress to stop people in their tracks."
The 18-year-old from Florida, who has Haitian and Dominican roots, wore a black garment made from a sequined and beaded, lace fabric, which is commonly used in traditional Yoruba designs for events where people want to wear matching clothes.
"I didn't just want a dress," Brianna tells the BBC.
"I wanted a story I could wear - something that said: 'This is who I am, and this is where my roots run.'"
High-school proms in the US are a rite of passage - long-idealised in countless coming-of-age movies - and are an opportunity for some to make a statement about identity and fashion.
The event is more than a party, it is a spectacle: part red carpet; part social milestone and for many young women - a powerful moment of self-expression.
But when Brianna made a TikTok video of herself in her African prom gown, she did not expect the reaction she got - it went viral and her post now has more than 1.1 million views.
This reflects a growing interest that has driven demand for custom-made outfits with bold designs and unique embellishments.
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