Sister wants my dress
im a bridal designer and one of my gowns went viral — it’s my signature piece, and I even promised it to a museum exhibit. My younger sister, who is terminally ill, recently got engaged. She asked if she could wear that exact dress for her wedding.
I told her I couldn’t give her the viral one, but I’d create a custom gown made just for her. I thought it was a fair compromise, but she got really quiet and said, “I just wanted to feel like a star for one day.” Now my parents are calling me heartless, my aunt is shading me on Facebook, and even my fiancé thinks I should reconsider.
I love my sister, but that dress is deeply personal and represents my career. I genuinely want to make her something even more special — but am I being selfish for not letting her have the dress?
What would you do if you were in my place?
I've lost plenty of very close people and my answer would still be no. Once the dress was promised to a museum it became an art exhibit that was paid for by the museum. As an artist you cant give away a dress promised to another client. Its no longer yours to give away. im pretty sure the museum wouldn't want it getting sweaty and wine spilled on it. Wedding dresses almost always get messed up day of and have to be drastically cleaned and mended after. So unless you plan on making a second one for the museum. If u have any kind of legal contract with the museum for the dress im pretty sure this would invalidate it and make the dress unable to be given as promised. You're sister can feel like a star in lots of dresses this is the 1 she can't have and she's basically demanding it. This is manipulation at its finest. This is your 1 major culmination of your career and she wants it to be hers. Im upset she even asked and then sicked your parents on you for the guilt trip. Im pretty sure everyone will give your terminally I'll sister everything else she wants. Do want to end up having lost your sister and your most prized work of art? thats up to you.