A Somerville teen crocheted her prom dress in three days. Her video of the design process went viral.

“Look at me now,” she wishes she could say to the people who teased her for having a “grandma hobby” and a dream to be a fashion designer. “I’m very happy I did not let it get to me.”

When one of her best friends invited her to be his date at the Somerville High School prom in May, Akinbuwa, who graduated last year, immediately saw an opportunity to showcase her talents.

With a model in mind — a strapless gown designed by Valentino Haute Couture that one of her favorite actresses, Zendaya, wore to the 2023 SAG Awards — Akinbuwa headed to Michaels, an arts and crafts store she frequents, and bought $60 worth of yarn.

“I knew I was going to go viral when I started making it,” she said. “Making your prom dress is very unique.”

She only had a few days before the event to crochet the dress, a needlework craft that involved not just using her crochet hook and strands of pink yarn, but a good deal of patience. But she never doubted that she would be able to complete the project in time.

Over just three tireless days, she produced a dress that has caught the eye of millions, including Law Roach, a prominent fashion stylist who has long worked with Zendaya. He left a comment on one of her Instagram posts that made Akinbuwa cry in happiness.

“He said it was so cute,” said Akinbuwa, a big admirer of his work. “No one can bring me down anymore.”

In 2019, she moved with her family from Nigeria to New York. After living there for two years, they settled in Somerville during the pandemic. Looking for something to do, Akinbuwa began dedicating almost all her time to the art of crocheting, seeking to learn as much as she could in hopes of becoming a fashion designer. When she turned 16, she intensified her commitment and, for the past two years, has been crocheting “nonstop.”

Akinbuwa regularly posts her designs on social media, with some featured in fashion shows, made for her clothing brand “Oyinda’s” (her Nigerian first name), or created for custom orders. Her bedroom is filled with outfits she crocheted.

While she looks up to celebrities such as Zendaya and Cardi B, Akinbuwa said she also takes inspiration from God and the Bible. Her upcoming floral-themed collection is called “The Garden of Eden.”

She had hoped it was only a matter of time before one of her pieces entered the mainstream. But she did not expect to attract this much attention.

When she went into the bathroom at her friend’s prom to film a video for TikTok, Akinbuwa said it took her almost 30 minutes because people kept complimenting her handmade gown.

“I love your dress,” one person tells her in a clip she uploaded. “Thank you, I made it,” Akinbuwa responds.

“After, I was just crying because I was very moved,” she said. “There’s a lot of good people in this world.”

Some admirers have asked if they can buy the dress, but she isn’t sure she wants to part with it. Her sister and father, who moved with her to Massachusetts from Nigeria, are among her biggest supporters, she said.

“How many views do you have now on TikTok?” her dad asked her on Tuesday. She told him the count had surpassed 26 million.

“Wooooow,” she recalled him saying.

“I have good family support,” she said. “They are always there for me, always taking videos, always supporting me.”

Akinbuwa will attend Framingham State University later this year and plans to study fashion. She aspires to have people one day wanting to shop at “Oyinda’s” and buy clothes she designs.

“If I am a fashion designer, I will never feel like I’m working because I love doing this,” she said. “It’s my joy.”

Shannon Larson can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @shannonlarson98.