13/05/2026
Cambodian Designer Accuses Foreign Model of Stealing Sketch for Red Carpet?
PHNOM PENH β Social media has erupted after a Cambodian fashion designer accused a Ghanaian-German model and actress of stealing an original gown sketch β then wearing the copied dress on a red carpet in Nigeria.
Tang Sokhong, founder of the luxury brand ALmΓ©e Couture, revealed that actress Nana Akua Addo commissioned a custom cathedral-inspired gown from her in late 2025. ALmΓ©e provided detailed sketches, multiple revisions, and completed the handcrafted dress after weeks of work.
But after the dress was finished, Addo reportedly rejected it, claiming the 3D ex*****on did not meet her expectations. ALmΓ©e returned the deposit and explicitly told the actress that the design remained the sole property of the Cambodian brand.
Instead of abandoning the look, Addo allegedly took the original sketch to another foreign designer β had the gown recreated without permission β and wore the stolen design on May 9, 2026, at the 12th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards in Lagos, Nigeria.
Addo has since defended herself on Instagram, insisting the entire creative concept was her intellectual property. However, Cambodian social media users have rallied behind Sokhong, with many demanding legal action against the foreign model.
No official lawsuit has been filed yet.
Reported by The Khmer Today