This Teen Honored Black Women "Who Paved the Way" With Her Gorgeous Prom Dress

It's official: this year's award for the most unique prom dress goes to Skyler Branch. The 17-year-old teen wore a customized pink dress featuring the faces of women who inspire her, including her great-grandmother, aunts, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, and Taraji P. Henson, and the reason behind the decision is beautiful.

The idea bloomed when Skyler decided to pay homage to her father's late grandmother, with whom she had a close bond. Then she got excited about including other black women who inspire her, and her mom helped make it all happen before her prom at White Station High School in Memphis, TN.

According to Yahoo Lifestyle, Skyler told her mom, Dayna Branch, "There's been so many extraordinary African-American women who have done so much for me. I want to show them some respect so that they know that not just the older adults but the younger adults appreciate who paved the way." One of the women thoughtfully chosen by Skyler — who's going to college for pre-vet sudies — is Alfreda J. Webb, the first African-American female veterinarian in the US.

Skyler and Dayna had the photos printed on the dress at a print shop, and they worked with a seamstress named Shannon Pierce to get the perfect result. Sharing the final look on Instagram, Skyler said, "I decided I wanted to take all the black queens that made a difference in my life to prom w me."

Possibly the sweetest part? She and her mom made it a point to see Skyler's 87-year-old grandmother before heading to prom to show her the dress. The grandmother was "amazed," Yahoo reports. Ahead, get a closer look at Skyler's beautiful dress for the big dance.