Teen designers create prom fashion masterpieces using duct tape

In a unique display of creativity, high school students from North America have been crafting extraordinary prom dresses and tuxedos entirely out of duct tape for the annual Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest, hosted by Duck Brand duct tape. This competition not only highlights their artistic talents but also offers a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship.

Among the standout participants is Erika Avellaneda, a Grade 9 student from Ottawa. Erika became a finalist, surpassing 102 other submissions with her intricate, duct tape creation. "I thought the contest would be a super fun experience," she shared with CTV News. "It's not like your average scholarship where you have to write essays."

Erika’s dress, a two-piece ensemble featuring gold, blue, and black patterns, an open front, a trailing skirt, and matching accessories, is a testament to her dedication and vision. The dress took 17 rolls of duct tape to complete, weighing about six pounds. "I worked for about 143 hours. Some days, I worked five hours, other days one or two," she explained. "It was a hard process. A lot of sitting down and working, but it was worth it." Her design drew inspiration from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt.

"I think it's incredible. I'm completely obsessed with it," said her sister, Claudia. "Erika is a little shy, but she's so creative. This is kind of like her way of speaking out and showing all the incredible designs that are in her head. I'm so proud of her. Everything I do is for Erika. She is such a queen. I'm so proud of her and she's only 15 years old. A lot of the other finalists are in their senior year in high school."

Erika’s mother, Annette Dillon, expressed immense pride in her daughter's artistic abilities. "I think the dress is stunning. I think it's a real masterpiece," she remarked. Annette believes her daughter benefited from having something to focus on, something positive and creative. "Erika has always liked the idea of castles, ballroom dancing. For me, it gave a child the chance to get out of her head (...) and do something physical with her hands. So I think that was a huge benefit."

In her submission, Erika detailed her inspiration and creative process. She envisioned a dress that would fit a "white academia aesthetic," imagining it in a grand baroque castle ballroom. "I pictured this dress being worn in a big architectural baroque castle ballroom dancing to classical music, like the ones you see in Rome and Greece. Originally the dress was fully white, but I was also inspired in doing a black-on-white clash. I was inspired by the style and colors that you would find in ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt," she wrote. "A big part of the dress’s inspiration was the colors of ancient Egypt like gold, white, black, and turquoise/blue."

Erika also incorporated the symbolism of the evil eye into her design. "Once I realized that a lot of the colors I was already using were similar to those of the evil eye I knew I had to add it in. The evil eye can symbolize multiple means depending on what cultures you ask. Some may say that it attracts evil spirits, others say that it can cast a malevolent gaze back upon those who wish you harm. I was inspired by both, but I would like that my dress reflects a malevolent gaze upon those who wish harm on me," she elaborated.

Erika is rightfully proud of her accomplishment. "I'm also pretty happy that I now get to have the dress and get to wear it," she said. "It's something that I get to have and tell people about. It's definitely a cool thing to talk about."

This contest has provided a platform for young artists to shine, proving that with creativity and hard work, they can achieve remarkable things and inspire others... as long as they stick to it.

Voting is open for the 2024 competition now through July 10th. If you'd like to explore more amazing creations and help choose this years winner you can visit https://www.duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on June, 2024.