₦airaland Forum

Nana Akua Addo’s jaw-dropping Cathedral gown at AMVCA 2026 has exploded into one of the biggest fashion controversies of the year.

The stunning architectural dress, created by Nigerian designer Mohammed Abbas of Abbass Woman, went massively viral after Nana rocked it on the AMVCA red carpet in Lagos. Inspired by Germany’s Cologne Cathedral, the gown features dramatic 3D Gothic spires, arches, and miniature cathedral windows.

But the celebration didn’t last long.
Paris-based ALmée Couture, founded by Cambodian designer Tang Sokhong, accused Nana of taking their original concept. They claim she commissioned them first, they developed detailed sketches and the full design direction, but after the collaboration ended and they refunded her, she gave the project to another designer.

They are now threatening legal action, calling it outright creative theft.

Nana Akua Addo has clapped back strongly. In her Instagram response, she insisted the original vision and concept were entirely hers. She shared chat screenshots showing ALmée Couture couldn’t execute the gown exactly as she wanted, so she moved on.
Now the internet is sharply divided: Who really owns the idea? Can a client be accused of stealing their own vision?

Who do you think is right in this AMVCA fashion drama?

Watch the full breakdown here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLguGna0-B8?si=89JCohf01-UdHYN2

Nana Akua Addo has since responded strongly on Instagram, saying the original vision and idea belonged to her from the beginning. She shared screenshots of chats, claiming ALmée Couture could not execute the design the way she wanted, so she decided to work with another designer.

Their problem.

Wetin concern us.

To make it worse, the dress was not even fine, such a burden of a dress!

Women are not normal sha. From Chike issue to this. Chai! Lord save my daughters oo

Kia....









Whc kind wahala be one nah.... All this attention seekers

All this Babylonians are not concerned with realities of this world, they only care about superficial things

Hmmm. Na wa o. These celebrities and their wahala sef

The designer is just being funny. Ideas come from many sources, including God.

God never puts one creative idea in the heart of one person for the fear that the person may fail to act.

God cannot force you to do something that will better your life. The designer has no global patent over the temple design.

Just when did Nigerians start copying all these foreign trends?.... What happened to rocking our locally made designs?...

For dress way she sew

Make she come oilmill or ABA, make she see Wonders

No case in this abeg next one

mecuries:
Just when did Nigerians start copying all these foreign trends?.... What happened to rocking our locally made designs?...

It's not copying. It's original creativity.

You can draw inspiration from everything around you to create.

That Cambodian designer, Tang Sokhong, is a creative thief and just jealous because he/she couldn't pull off the design.

A Nigerian DID IT!

Not my business for today, my only concern for today make Arsenal beat Burnley 5 : 0.
I’m not arsenal’s fan but that club done suffer to much 😊😊😊😊

Their headache..biko who cooked beans 🫘...I get bread

Lol... I talk am say a lot of those designs were not original.

The owners should have TRADEMARKED them.

If anything,it is the Cathedral that should claim rights.

Angelfrost:
Lol... I talk am say a lot of those designs were not original.

The owners should have TRADEMARKED them.

... because Nigerians made them, right?

When it comes to creativity, you'd be shocked at what Nigerians can do.

Even Hollywood are in awe.

Mariangeles:
... because Nigerians made them, right?

When it comes to creativity, you'd be shocked at what Nigerians can do.

Lol... I have never doubted our creativity, my good sister.

However, design idea theft is not new nor strange... And, it isn't even unique to anywhere. It is a regular occurence in the world of Fashion, Music, infact Art in general!

That's why you make efforts to protect your work through trademark and copyright protection.

Trending trending haute cuture

NJV:
To make it worse, the dress was not even fine, such a burden of a dress!

The intention is not for it to be fine, the intention is for it to draw attention to the wearer

Purely legal issues, the lawyers in the house should throw more light on it, who is really at fault?

Olatundex22:
Not my business for today, my only concern for today make Arsenal beat Burnley 5 : 0.
I’m not arsenal’s fan but that club done suffer to much 😊😊😊😊

It will be easier for an elephant to climb a tree than for this to happen

I think whoever was the the first to conceptualize the dress should be considered the original intellectual property rights owner, that would be Nana in this case

Angelfrost:
Lol... I have never doubted our creativity, my good sister.

However, design idea theft is not new nor strange... And, it isn't even unique to anywhere. It is a regular occurence in the world of Fashion, Music, infact Art in general!

That's why you make efforts to protect your work through trademark and copyright protection.

The truth is, as a creative, you can hardly avoid people "copying you" (I call it drawing inspiration from you) and vice versa, because creativity begets creativity. That is, if you're good.
Except you want to hide your crafts/skills.

Only one should always acknowledge where they drew inspiration from.

As it is, there's hardly anything new under the sun.
What we're doing now is mostly just recreating what already is.

If the Parisians couldn't deliver, who did?

Women and their wahala nah 5 & 6, just imagine you go chop beans, vegetables and some eggs before wearing this whole cathedral called gown and you have to go shit very urgent.

It's clearly theft!!
Your so called original design is absolutely different from what you made, which looked more like her final design.
Madam you're a thief!

koxyz:
Purely legal issues, the lawyers in the house should throw more light on it, who is really at fault?

I'm not a lawyer but the Cambodian designer has no case here. The concept did not come from her.

dominique:
I'm not a lawyer but the Cambodian designer has no case here. The concept did not come from her.

I believe she knows that. She is just using the popularity of the dress to atract attention. Many of those who don't know them now know that they were the first destination for the dress

NJV:
To make it worse, the dress was not even fine, such a burden of a dress!

It's Art, it's fashion.

It doesn't look bad