Birmingham teenager who created Princess Tiana-inspired ball gown invited to showcase at Disney

A true princess story!

Layla Hildreth, a Birmingham teenager who recently graduated from Shades Valley High School, embarked on a unique journey to mark the end of her high school career, NBCLos Angeles reports. Like most seniors, his end-of-year festivities were filled with pride as family and friends gathered to celebrate his hard work and accomplishments. Yet Layla was determined to leave a mark and activate her creativity, with the budding seamstress planning to start making her own by hand. ball gown.

“If I do something for prom, I want it to be memorable. I want people to look at it and think about where it came from,” Layla told reporters, describing her motivations behind designing the dress.

She had previously made jackets and other items herself, but she wanted this to be special, something that inspired her and had a deeper meaning. That’s when Layla decided to make a dress inspired by Disney’s first black princess.

A modern-day fairy tale, Princess Tiana is not the product of a fictional universe. She’s from New Orleans, another southern city, just five hours from Layla’s beloved Birmingham. The story behind the first black princess is as American as it gets, inspired by the Leah Chase in real life. Chase was a hard worker with big dreams and a sincere passion for her community. Like Tiana, Chase’s late matriarch became a legendary NOLA restaurateur, a story Layla couldn’t help but draw inspiration from.

“I like to see entrepreneurship; These days, more and more black women and young men are becoming entrepreneurs, and (Princess Tiana) is a good example to look up to. She didn’t give up, no matter what. She became a whole frog and strove to become human again. She never stopped working,” Layla said. Thanks to them, we can.

With $300 worth of satin and tulle, Layla meticulously sewed her Tiana-inspired dress, a labor of love that would soon captivate her community. As she made her grand entrance to prom, she was greeted with an outpouring of love and support.

“People were shocked. All the kids (in the neighborhood) were running around me going, “Oh my God, Princess Tiana is here.” “Then I went to prom and the kids I went to school with, but never talked to, wanted a picture,” she explained.

Disney caught wind of what Layla had been up to, inviting the eighteen-year-old to Walt Disney World for a special preview of the new attraction “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.” There, Layla was able to meet the The Chase family that inspired the Disney princess, interact with the original cast and show off her prom design. Presented on a stunning mannequin, the dress wowed everyone who saw it. It was a close replica of the one Princess Tiana wore in the animated film.

“I really wanted to bring Tiana back into my age group…and people always think it’s strange that I see them being frogs, that’s what really inspired me, but I don’t think people see things from that point of view. the same way as me. Because when I see the frogs, I see Tiana going to the hardest point, where it’s easier to give up than to continue and try to become a human. But she managed to get through it; she became who she wanted to be. She kept going, became an entrepreneur…and that inspired me,” Layla told BOTWC.

The teen’s family was there to cheer her on as Layla was spotlighted during the attraction’s premiere. It was an emotional moment for the budding designer as she reflected on what it meant and thought about those who had inspired her along her journey. Thinking about the princess’ story of resilience, determination and the power of dreams, Layla identified her own Princess Tiana, noting her older sister Raven, who she says always motivates her to keep going.

“Whenever I’m asked to write about my role model, I always write about Raven. She bakes her own cakes, does her own hair, does whatever she wants, and sometimes she says, “I’m sick of this, but she still keeps going.” I love that she’s my sister,” Layla told BOTWC.

Now that she’s created her own magic and showcased her talent on one of the biggest stages in the world, Layla can’t wait to create her own fairy tale. She has now graduated from high school and plans to attend Georgia State in the fall. There, Layla will specialize in human development and learning. As for sewing, it’s a passion she’s excited to pursue as she tries to “dig a little deeper” like Princess Tiana and see where all her talents will take her.

Cover photo: Birmingham teen who created Princess Tiana-inspired ballgown invited to showcase at Disney/Photo credit: @LaylaMarie_445/Instagram