Plus-Sized Models Wedding Dress Sparks Mixed Reactions

A plus-size model has left her fans divided after she unveiled the white gown she wore for her wedding welcome party.

Riley Hemson, who married her fiancé Vita Tomoana over the weekend, shared videos to Instagram showing off the dress she donned the day before her wedding.

However, the unique woven corset and mermaid silhouette left some fans divided, with many loving the look while others deemed it 'unflattering'. 

The gown featured a long, frilled skirt with a woven corset and a distinctive Basque waistline as the focal point of the look.

'I think she is beautiful, but yikes she's been planning the wedding so long and that's the dress?' one person wrote online.

'It's unflattering,' another added, while someone else said: 'Agreed! She's very pretty. The dress is just a mess!'

'That is so odd. It looks like six dresses in one, with a basket as the corset,' one user commented. 

However, there were some who pointed out the woven detailing on the corset may be a nod to the Māori culture of her partner Vita. 

'I think the corset part looks similar to traditional Māori flax weaving (harakeke). If Vita is Māori this could be paying homage to his culture,' someone noted. 

'Or many other Pasifika cultures. I know the dress/her style isn't everyone's taste but it's totally on brand for her and I think she looks lovely.' 

'Uhhhh it's a cultural thing, no?' added another.

'Riley I love how your dress bodice looks like harakeke a nod to your new Māori last name,' a third echoed.

Many other fans sang their praises of the dress.    

'Incredible,' 'Pretty,' and 'Beautiful,' were just some of the many supportive words Riley received.