Viral teen designer makes bold fashion statement at BET Honors

Kyemah McEntyre will likely be immortalized in Internet history for her viral African-print prom dress.

But McEntyre says she doesn’t want to just trend. She wants to inspire — and her gown at the 2016 BET Honors (airing on BET March 14, 8 p.m. ET) did just that.

The incoming Parsons freshman was honored Saturday as one of the network’s "Next In Class" — a nod to her up-and-coming rise in her field.

While on the red carpet, McEntyre modeled perfectly coiled Bantu knots as well as a custom canvas dress, featuring different images of black women. McEntyre designed the gown and then had it sewn by a local seamstress before she embellished it with acrylic paint.

“I decided I was going to actually paint my inspiration, which is black women,” she said while twirling. “Ultimately, what’s the best way to give honor to us? And I’m a fine artist. I’m a fashion designer. I believe in black history. I believe in women’s history, and so what better way to just express that than by wearing this?”

A self-proclaimed (and time-tested) trendsetter, McEntyre said she prefers to be direct and deliberate with her art, which unapologetically celebrates black women. She explained the dearth of black women represented in fashion and in media served as the impetus for her signature designs.

“I remember asking myself, ‘Why don’t I see these women?’ And I remember comparing myself to the women that I did see and I was like, ‘Well, why aren’t I beautiful? Why isn’t my kinky hair beautiful? Why aren’t my full lips beautiful?’ I think from that point on, that whatever I did, it was going to be me and not for anyone else. And then I mean, the artist in me, the rebellious youth in me also pushed it but ultimately, I think it came from me questioning, ‘Why aren’t I beautiful? Why can’t I be seen as beautiful?’”

McEntyre also teased her plans to release a capsule collection in May, but offered no further details.

"Stay tuned," she later posted on Instagram.