Ghanaian model and actress Nana Akua Addo has denied taking a design from fashion brand ALme Couture without authorisation, insisting the concept for her Cathedral dress worn at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) was entirely her own intellectual property.
The dispute erupted after ALme Couture publicly alleged that Nana had consulted with them, received a sketch of the design, and then taken it to another designer rather than commissioning them to produce the dress. The brand said it only discovered this after seeing the finished outfit at the AMVCA.
Nana rejected that account, sharing chat records she said supported her version of events. According to her, she approached ALme Couture with a fully formed idea and a clear creative vision, but the brand declined to execute it as she envisioned, citing the complexity and level of detail involved. A refund followed, and she subsequently engaged a Nigerian designer who agreed to bring her concept to life.
“The entire concept and creative direction were my intellectual property,” Nana stated.
She also shared a moodboard she described as architectural in nature, which she said formed the foundation of the Cathedral dress and predated any engagement with ALme Couture. She argued that presenting an idea to a designer for potential execution does not transfer ownership of that idea.
Nana expressed frustration at what she described as widespread misinformation following the AMVCA and publicly thanked the Nigerian designer who took the risk to realise her vision when others would not.
ALme Couture has not issued a formal response to the counter-claims and the shared chat records.
