A Boston teen is going viral for crocheting her own Zendaya-inspired prom dress

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade… or on this case, a custom prom dress. This week, highschool student Sarah Akinbuwa went viral for making her own crocheted version of the custom pink Valentino Haute Couture gown seen on Zendaya – for just $60.

Inspired by the pink dress Zendaya wore on the red carpet on the 2023 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, Akinbuwa decided to make use of her crocheting talent to create her own prom dress. In an interview with People Magazine, she explained that the project began when she was invited to another person’s prom with only 4 days’ notice.

“I had to sew the dress by hand,” Akinbuwa told the newspaper.

Documenting all the process on TikTokThe 18-year-old crocheted 100 roses by hand in two days. The next day she crocheted a floor-length strapless gown, and it wasn’t until prom day that the entire look got here together, when she added roses to the train and crystals to the bodice. In addition to crocheting a Zendaya-inspired dress, Akinbuwa did as well handmade matching pink handbag.
Just as Akinbuwa was “obsessed” with her prom look, viewers were fascinated by the crochet gown. IN video taken in the ladies’s bathroom, random people showered the teenager with compliments.

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“Oh my God… wonderful,” one in all the ladies might be heard saying within the background after learning that she had made the dress herself. “You’re incredible! You better get an award for this or something.”

“I was overwhelmed by the compliments,” she wrote under the photo Post on TikTok“It’s the best part of crochet (really).”

There was an outpouring of affection on social media, with tens of millions of users praising Akinbuwa for her talent and dedication.

“You did an amazing job. (You are) a very talented young woman and I hope your talent will take you far,” one user commented.

Another commenter added: “Wow…absolutely amazing work. You are looking so beautiful. I pray that one day this will turn into… a successful business. A fashion line in your future.”

While this is the teen’s first viral moment, it’s miles from her first crochet project. Akinbuwa’s social media pages (@that_crochet_gurl00) on Instagram and TikTok present various crochet works made by the teenager.

“I’ve been crocheting since I was 12,” she said, explaining how she has made custom orders for her family and friends through the years. Understanding that there aren’t any limits, the 18-year-old says she desires to turn out to be a dressmaker in the longer term.

As the teenager wrote in her Instagram caption, “(oh) being young, talented and black.”