Ghanaian actress Nana Akua Addo became one of the standout celebrities at the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), held on May 9, 2026, at Eko Hotels & Suites, appearing in a series of extravagant red-carpet looks, with the most talked about being her architectural cathedral dress, designed by Nigerian couturier Mohammed Abbas Ossu of Abbas Woman.
The grey-toned gown was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany and incorporated elements such as spires, Gothic arches, doors, windows, pillars, and a cross.
However, what started as admiration for the architectural gown soon turned into accusations of design theft after a fashion brand, ALmée Couture, revealed that Nana Akua Addo’s AMVCA outfit was based on a design concept originally developed by the brand. The brand clarified that it was not claiming ownership of the cathedral’s inspiration itself but rather the detailed transformation of that concept into a finished couture piece.
In their official statement, the brand said, “This project was originally developed with the client last year as part of a commissioned couture piece.” The initial cathedral-inspired concept was shared with us by the client, and based on that direction, Almée Couture developed the final artistic vision, original sketch, silhouette, structural detailing, and couture interpretation for the design.
“Following the cancellation of the project and refund of the deposit, we later discovered that the final gown was created elsewhere using the original sketch and design direction developed by Almée Couture, without acknowledgement of our creative contribution.”
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In her response via an Instagram post, the actress denied claims that the design was stolen, stating she personally approached Almée Couture with her own ideas, mood board, and architectural inspiration for the gown, but the collaboration did not materialize after the brand allegedly declined to execute the design because of its complexity.
“I’ve seen a lot of misinformation surrounding my recent AMVCA outfit, ‘Cathedral.’ ‘I reached out to @almee.lii for the outfit and shared my ideas, explaining exactly how I wanted it executed.”
“However, you said you were unwilling to create it the way I envisioned it because of how detailed my concept was.”
“After a refund was made, I moved on and had another designer bring the idea to life. So how exactly does it suddenly become your creation?”
“The entire concept and creative direction came from me.”
She also shared screenshots of private conversations with the fashion house to back up her claims.