Ghanaian actress Nana Akufo-Addo slams Almée Couture over dress ownership claims
By Folashade Olorunfemi –
Popular Ghanaian actress, Nana Akufo-Addo, has slammed global fashion brand, Almée Couture, over claims surrounding the cathedral-inspired dress she wore to the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), insisting she owns the concept and design.
The actress, known for her bold fashion choices, said the dress was designed by Nigerian fashion designer, Mohammed Abbas, whom she publicly acknowledged at the event.
Controversy erupted after the outfit gained global attention, with some social media users accusing Nana of stealing the design and tagging Almée Couture as the original creator of the dress.
In response, Almée Couture stated that Nana had initially approached the brand to execute the design, adding that although the actress later terminated the deal, the final outfit was allegedly produced elsewhere using the brand’s original sketch and design direction.
“We later discovered that the final gown was produced elsewhere using the original sketch and developed design direction created by Almée Couture, without acknowledgment of our creative contribution,” the brand wrote on Instagram.
The fashion house clarified that it was not claiming ownership of the cathedral-inspired concept itself, but of the artistic development, structural detailing and execution of the final couture design.
Reacting on Instagram, Nana Akufo-Addo denied the allegations, stating that she only approached Almée Couture to help actualise her idea, but the brand later declined due to difficulties in executing the details. She said she subsequently sought a refund and contracted another designer.
The actress also shared screenshots of her conversations with Almée Couture to support her claims, while praising Mohammed Abbas for taking the risk to bring her vision to life.
