When she went to prom, she couldn't find a dress to fit. Now she's using TikTok to make plus-size teens feel beautiful in ball gowns.

• Summer Lucille is a fashion designer who owns a plus-size dress store in North Carolina. 
• She has been hyping up clients as they try on dresses, going viral on TikTok in the process. 
• Lucille told Insider she believes verbal affirmation can help her customers with their confidence.

Summer Lucille has worked in the fashion industry since 2011, but she didn't fully pursue her true passion — plus-sized clothing — until she opened her store, Juicy Body Goddess, in 2015.

It primarily stocks her own original designs, and aims to help plus-size women like herself find the perfect gown for special occasions like proms and weddings that they might not be able to buy from mainstream brands. Lucille, who is based in North Carolina, told Insider that she personally found it hard to find clothes that fit her and that she thought were fashionable when she was growing up, which motivated her to start her own business. 

In 2021, Lucille set up a TikTok account to promote the business and posted a 14-second clip that showed her interacting with customers which, to her shock, went viral overnight.

She has since developed a following of 1.2 million people, an online community that she says has become "a safe place for plus-size women to feel beautiful and comfortable."

Lucille has become known for her videos helping young women find their dream prom dress 

When she first started her TikTok account, Lucille had no idea what to expect from the app, thinking it was primarily for dancing and singing videos, she told Insider. 

However, the 34-year-old creator said that her teenage niece kept urging her to use the app for advertising, so she began experimenting by filming short snippets of her interactions with customers at the store. 

Her first video to go viral showed her telling a customer that she needed to weigh over 200 pounds to shop at her store, sparking debate in the comments, although many followers defended her decision. Lucille told Insider that plenty of people have suggested she start selling clothes in smaller sizes, but she decided against it because plus-size women "have nowhere where it's just clothes for us and I want to keep it that way." 

After experiencing her first viral moment, Lucille decided to share more behind-the-scenes clips of what goes on in her store, filming one-on-one consultations with teen customers looking for prom dresses.

During the consultations, Lucille, along with some of her staff, select a few options for the client, based on her body type and preferred style, and help her choose one to wear to prom. 

But viewers have not just been watching Lucille's video for a glimpse at the glittery and bright dresses, they also say they love to watch the TikToker's equally bold and vibrant personality at work as she effusively compliments and praises her customers while they try on the outfits. 

"She looks like a princess!" Lucille can be heard saying to one customer in a video that has received 8.8 million views. "Don't cry because you're going to make me cry, OK?" she added, watching her tear up while trying on a long light-pink gown. 

Commenters continuously compliment Lucille for being a wonderful "hype woman" to her customers in her TikToks, and the creator told Insider she thinks it is especially important to give verbal affirmation to these girls because of how difficult it can be for them to find a prom dress in their size. 

"Prom can be a horrific nightmare for fat girls. It was a horrific nightmare for myself when I went years ago. I couldn't find any dress that fit me and I had to go in a two-piece suit-like outfit. It was devastating, and I just don't want anybody else to go through that," she said. 

"I'm super glad that I can have that impact, not just to give a girl a dress, but to leave with her with more confidence and encouragement, and to make her feel more comfortable about her body," she added. 

TikTok has been a shining light that's put her business on the map, Lucille said

Lucille said that through her TikTok account, she has managed to create an online community of positivity, where commenters feel inspired to write complimentary messages to the customers in her videos, which she says has often boosted the confidence of the individuals featured even further. 

But not everyone on TikTok is on the same page, Lucille told Insider, saying that when she first downloaded the app, she was shocked to see how many people were posting about feeling insecure about their bodies, or how fat-removal procedures have become viral crazes, because she herself had arrived at a place of feeling comfortable with her body after being plus-size for most of her life. 

"I was living in my own bubble, surrounded by friends and family who love being plus-size. But I was shocked by TikTok culture," she said.

"I came to TikTok and kicked the door down," she said, adding, "I will straight up say the word fat. I own it, because there's nothing wrong with being fat." 

As a result of Lucille's confidence, which has allowed her to have a thriving social media presence, she says that customers have come from around the country, and sometimes even from abroad, to visit her store. 

She told Insider she thinks that more than 60% of her customers heard about her business through TikTok, and that the app has given her a unique opportunity to attract clients and spread a positive message at the same time. 

"It's changed my life forever. I've always been this person, I've always been me, but I think TikTok was the only platform that allowed me to verbally reach an audience in such an organic way," she said, adding, "It was just a perfect storm for success." 

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.