'This is for being labeled ugly': Bullied teen earns internet fame after rising above the cruel taunts of tormentors and designing stunning African-inspired prom dress
- 18 year-old Kyemah McEntyre, from New Jersey, shared images of herself wearing the dress on social media
- In one post on her Instagram account, she encouraged people to fight back against critics and embrace their individuality
- The talented teen sketched the dress and asked a local seamstress to create it for her
A beautiful New Jersey teen has become an overnight internet sensation after she posted a series of images of herself wearing a stunning prom dress that she herself designed - along with a message about how she learned to overcome the cruel taunts of school bullies.
Kyemah McEntyre, an 18-year-old from East Orange, shared several images of herself at her school prom on Instagram and Twitter earlier this month, while also revealing that she had earned the coveted title of Prom Queen.
'I'm Kyemah McEntyre, I am 18 years old and I am undoubtedly of African Descent [sic],' she wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of herself wearing the stunning floor-length gown.
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Prom sensation: Kyemah McEntyre hit back at bullies by designing this stunning African-inspired prom dress
Red carpet ready: The 18-year-old was crowned Prom Queen at her high school, while wearing the dress
She went on to speak out against those who try to bring other people down with negative words and harsh insults, while urging her followers to embrace their individuality and their creativity.
'As an artist I have a completely different point of view compared to most individuals. I am extremely analytical and observant,' she explained. 'Throughout the world, we have people who do not notice each others essence and humanity.
'We stunt our collective spiritual growth by allowing assumptions and stereotypes to cloud our mind and thus our physical reality. We let these negative ideas get the best of us, and in turn a world of isolation is manifested by our lack of sensitivity and desire to sympathize with each other.
'This results in a world in which people live within the confines of their own space, isolated from each other and separated from the rest of the world.
'Sometimes we get trapped in our own prejudice ways. We don't notice how the idea of a particular type of person changes the way we live our lives.'
Fashionable fans: Kyemah will be heading to New York City later this year after securing a place to study at Parson's School of Design
Glittering success: Kyemah revealed that she had been crowned Prom Queen in this Instagram post
She ended her post by saying: 'Don't let anyone define you. Beautiful things happen when you take pride in yourself. #blackgirlsrock #kyebreaktheinternet [sic]'
The poignant post has since received over 10,000 likes on the photo-sharing app, with hundreds of people leaving comments to praise Kyemah's bravery.
'This dress is beautiful and so are you,' one person wrote, while another added: 'Very articulate and inspiring.'
And as if her powerful statement - and subsequent internet fame - wasn't enough to help her rise above the horrible comments of bullies gone by, Kyemah also proudly revealed that she was crowned Prom Queen at her high school's dance, sharing a picture of herself proudly wearing her crown and sash.
'I am beyond grateful, what a magical night,' she wrote alongside the selfie.
Design prowess: Kyemah's skillful and original sketches were turned into the stunning gown that she wore at prom by a local seamstress
Businesswoman: The teenager has been quick to capitalize on the internet hype surrounding her dress by setting up an online shop and selling prints through her Instagram account
Kyemah, who is headed to New York to study at Parson's School of Design later this year, originally set to work sketching out her own unique prom dress many months ago.
Inspired by her African heritage, which is reflected in the bright printed fabrics of the dress, Kyemah then had a nearby seamstress from Markell's Closet, in Montclair sew the dress specially for her, by hand.
With its rich, mouthwatering colors, fashionable, plunging neckline and full, billowing skirt, Kyemah was certainly destined to be the belle of the ball on the biggest night of her school year.
In fact, her fans online say her dress looks fit for the red carpet.
Today Kyemah is busy making the most of her new-found fashion fame and is promoting her artistic and print designs work on Etsy. Her new online store KyesMind looks set to be a huge success and she's already planning to add new pieces of her artwork.
Her Instagram feed is also fairly similar where her prints are showing for sale at $50-$70 a piece.
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