Former Big Brother Naija housemate Queen Mercy Atang has opened up about the physical toll of her viral 500-loaf bread dress at the 12th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA), saying the weight of the outfit nearly broke her waist. In an interview with the BBC, Queen disclosed that the dress, designed by celebrity stylist Tianah Empire, caused her significant pain and left a wound on her back.
The Making of the Bread Dress
Queen explained that she did not create the dress herself. 'Tianah Empire, the king of fashion, made it. It is just for me to get the clothes ready to put on,' she said. The designer asked her to come for fittings to identify areas needing adjustments, and the process took weeks to complete.
Physical Pain and Tears
Describing her experience wearing the dress, Queen said, 'The weight of the dress almost broke my waist. If you check my back, I have a serious wound there. Because that bread was very heavy. I literally cried while wearing that dress. I first said I needed to catch my breath. The first few seconds after wearing the dress, I had to take it off and cried a lot. Then later, I told them I was ready to wear it again.'
Initial Reluctance to Attend AMVCA
Queen revealed that she initially had no plans to attend the AMVCA this year, as she was focused on achieving certain targets for her business. 'I did not plan on going for this year's AMVCA before. I had put down some things I wanted to achieve for my business. AMVCA was not in my dictionary this year,' she said.
Designer's Encouragement
Her designer, however, urged her to attend and insisted that she could not dress simply for such a major event. 'My designer later urged me to go, while I told her to do something simple for me to wear. But she told me I cannot dress simply for the event,' Queen recounted.
Going Viral Unexpectedly
Queen shared that she wanted to attend the event physically even after the red carpet had closed to avoid accusations of using AI-generated images. 'I did not expect my dress to go viral like this. I expected people would have mixed feelings about it. But I noticed that major news outlets reported it,' she said.
Mixed Reactions from the Public
The outfit became one of the most talked-about fashion moments from the awards, drawing mixed reactions from social media users. Despite the pain and controversy, Queen's bread dress has cemented its place in AMVCA history as a bold and memorable fashion statement.
