Former Big Brother Naija housemate Queen Mercy Atang has opened up about the painful experience behind her viral bread-themed outfit at the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
The reality TV star drew massive attention after appearing at the prestigious event in a dress reportedly made from 500 loaves of bread.
Speaking during an interview with the BBC, Atang clarified that the creative concept was designed by renowned fashion entrepreneur Toyin Lawani of Tiannah Empire, stressing that she was only responsible for wearing the outfit.
“First of all, I was not the one who made the dress. Tiannah Empire, the king of fashion, made it. It was just for me to get ready and wear the outfit,” she explained.
Atang revealed that the dress was extremely heavy and physically exhausting, adding that it nearly caused serious damage to her waist and back.
According to her, the weight of the bread costume left visible wounds on her body and forced her to repeatedly remove the outfit during fittings and on the event day.
“If you check my back, I have a serious wound there because the bread was very heavy. I literally cried while wearing the dress,” she said.
She explained that the outfit took weeks to complete, with several fittings carried out to make adjustments before the final unveiling.
The BBNaija star further disclosed that she initially had no intention of attending this year’s AMVCA because she was focused on growing her business. However, her designer later convinced her to attend the event and rejected the idea of a simple outfit.
Atang also explained that the bread-inspired fashion statement subtly promoted her business, an idea reportedly suggested by her stylist.
Despite arriving after the red carpet session had ended, she insisted on attending physically so fans would not assume the photos circulating online were artificially generated.
“I wanted to go to the event physically because I did not want people to think the pictures were AI-generated,” she added.
Reflecting on the massive attention the outfit received, Atang admitted she never expected the dress to become a viral sensation or dominate headlines across major media platforms.
“I expected mixed reactions, but I was surprised when major news outlets started reporting it,” she concluded.