Sarah Akinbuwa’s dream of becoming a fashion designer is starting to come true after the 18-year-old Somerville resident went viral on TikTok for crocheting her prom dress.
“It’s versatile. Like you could just make something out of strings,” told MassLive, referring to the power of crocheting clothes. “It’s mind-blowing. So, I think that’s why I stand out.”
One of Akinbuwa’s best friends invited her to be his date just four days before the Somerville High School prom in May.
Akinbuwa knew she had little time to find a dress. So she decided to take matters into her own hands — literally.
“The day he told me, I went to buy yarn for the dress,” Akinbuwa said. “I see people buying their dresses, but I don’t see people making them. So I just decided to make mine.”
Akinbuwa documented her dress-making journey in a TikTok posted on May 17. The TikTok shows her crocheting while sitting on the floor before panning to dozens of pink crocheted flowers on an ottoman.
The video’s description reads “just going for my outfit” while the video itself reads, “POV: crocheting my prom dress because it only cost $60 but also cost no sleeping for days.”
Akinbuwa’s TikTok has garnered more than 26 million views as of Thursday, June 27. While she expected the video to get some traction, Akinbuwa didn’t realize how much it would actually get.
“To be honest, I did expect it to blow up, but not the way it [did],” Akinbuwa said while mentioning the fact that “making your prom dress is very, very unique.”
Sarah Akinbuwa went viral on TikTok for posting a video of her crocheting her prom dress.Sarah Akinbuwa
The inspiration for the dress came from some of Akinbuwa’s fashion icons like Ayra Starr, Cardi B and Zendaya.
The strapless gown Zendaya wore to the 2023 SAG Awards that was designed by Valentino Haute Couture served as a main inspiration for Akinbuwa’s dress.
“I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is so pretty. This will actually look good in crochet,’” she recalled. “So, yes, I crocheted it.”
The dress took Akinbuwa three sleepless days to make: two days for the roses and another day for the dress itself. She spent only $60 to buy the materials, and got a big payoff when she showed up at prom.
“The restroom, I was there for like 50 minutes. I was trying to get out, but people just kept coming in and started complimenting me. I was crying.”
This was captured in another TikTok Akinbuwa uploaded where one person tells her, “I love your dress,” to which Akinbuwa responds with, “Thank you, I made it.”
Sarah Akinbuwa went viral on TikTok for posting a video of her crocheting her prom dress.Sarah Akinbuwa
Aside from millions seeing her fashion skills, Akinbuwa’s hopes the viral video will “encourage girls to also make their prom dress.”
As part of her education in Nigeria, Akinbuwa learned how to crochet when she was 12 years old.
“It’s not only about education, they teach you about skills also,” she said. “Me and my friends, we always crocheted, like every time. But people don’t really do it because it’s like an old thing to do like grandma does it too.”
In 2019, Akinbuwa and her family moved to New York City and lived there for two years before settling in Somerville. Akinbuwa has clearly kept her craft alive and does not plan on stopping.
The 18-year-old will attend Framingham State University later this year to study fashion. Akinbuwa also has her own crochet-forward brand called “Oyindas,” her Nigerian first name. She plans on dropping a new collection inspired by The Garden of Eden in the future as well.
