Brother Designs, Hand Sews Dress For Sister’s Prom When Family Can’t Afford To Buy One

When a family from the Philippines couldn’t afford to purchase or rent their teenage daughter a dress for prom, her older brother became her fairy godmother, stepping up to make her the most incredible dress — a ball gown more elaborate and beautiful than anything she could have dreamed of, truly fit for a princess.

girl stands in her prom dress her brother made for her, he stands next to her — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

Maverick Francisco Oyao, the loving older brother in this fairy tale story, revealed he and his younger sister have always been very close. “She’s my go-to person. We share the same vibes and little secrets. That’s why, as her brother, I want the very best for her.”

“I felt disheartened seeing my younger sister worrying about not being able to experience the promenade,” Maverick tells Love What Matters. “That’s why I took the task to make her wish come true.”

sketch of idea for prom dress before starting — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

While his sister’s tastes remained at the forefront of his mind, Oyao cited Mr. Michael Cinco’s spring collection as the inspiration for the beautiful blue, butterfly-like dress. (He hopes to one day meet the designer and be able to chat with him about the fashion industry, saying this is his greatest dream.)

girl sits on the ground with her prom dress spread around her — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

Maverick said fabric is fairly cheap in the Philippines, which is why the resourceful young man was still able to provide his sister with the dream dress for prom. Finding inexpensive materials and being willing to spend the hours hand sewing the elaborate dress, the labor of love became not just a wish, but a reality.

pieces of fabric spread out before brother makes prom dress — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

close up of the details on prom dress — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

Maverick’s mother knew how to sew dresses and Oyao believes his imagination and creativity are, in part, because of her. But even with these gifts, the dress was still an incredibly ambitious task — one the brother wasn’t quite sure how to start, and one he nearly gave up on.

pieces of fabric for skirt of dress laid out before sewing — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

dress making process, making flowers to add on — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

But knowing how much it would mean to his sister, Maverick persevered. He would come home from school and work on it for hours. The dress includes nine pieces of fabric which he covered in a lattice pattern of satin ribbon. Flowers with beaded centers were then sewn on top. The bodice was hand painted with a blue ombre to match the skirt portion of the dress.

fabric laid out with white detailing placed on top before sewing — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

top part of prom dress laid out and being painted to add color — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

“Sometimes I’d get extremely tired, but by imagining the outcome, I got the energy to continue the hard work,” Oyao told Florida News. His love for his sister was the driving force and his source of motivation throughout the difficult dress making process.

girl stands in skirt of prom dress as it is in progress — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

work in progress prom dress sitting on mannequin — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

close up of in progress prom dress with sleeves being added on — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

“On the day of the promenade, while we were dressing her up, we were both crying,” Maverick tells Love What Matters. “Seeing the gown come to life and seeing my sister in tears of joy is the very purpose why I made the dress for her.”

girl sits on the ground in her prom dress while her date holds her hand — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

But the loving older brother didn’t stop there. He plans to create a YouTube video (once he’s able to fix his phone!) on how to make a DIY dress so anyone can do it, and so every teenage girl has the opportunity to wear a beautiful gown to prom.

“I’m lucky to have her and she’s also lucky to have me,” says Maverick. “And to all the brothers out there, let’s love our younger sisters like a princess!”

girl poses beautifully in her prom dress made by her brother — Courtesy of Maverick Francisco Oyao

This story was submitted to Love What Matters  by Maverick Francisco Oyao. You can follow his journey on Facebook. Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.

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