Lilia
F.
Inspiration:
I wanted to give my dress a lace-like effect, so I cut holes similar to a lace curtain in my house. I got the inspiration for the shape of the dress from an old dress pattern I found.
8
Rolls
40
Hours
Taylor
P.
Inspiration:
I've been designing dresses ever since I was little and this dress is based on one of my sketches I had done previously. Roses are one of my favorite things to draw so I thought I'd make them a big piece in the design of the dress.
9
Rolls
20
Hours
Lauren
G.
Inspiration:
My inspiration for this tuxedo was my watermelon crocs. They are my favorite shoes, I wear them everywhere, and they are the only shoes I would ever want to be seen in at prom.
14
Rolls
22
Hours
Kelly
N.
Inspiration:
When I found out about this competition, I decided to take it as an opportunity to design the ideal prom dress that I envisioned myself wearing to prom. I’ve liked fashion my entire life, especially vintage styles and Parisian fashion. So, I decided to take inspiration from this as well as my mother’s garden, specifically the flowers. To me, blue is symbolic of tranquility and serenity which I wanted to incorporate into my design since it is something I felt we could all use during these times.
26
Rolls
80
Hours
Sam
B.
Inspiration:
My dress design was inspired by my mom. She has been my style icon ever since I was old enough to steal clothes from her closet. The colors I chose for my dress came from her love of the ocean. The blue tapering into tan symbolizes the waves crashing into the sand. The flower pattern represents how she cultivated our house into home. With her love and support she has helped me blossom into the person I am today.
10
Rolls
22
Hours
Katie
C.
Inspiration:
I wanted to make a prom dress that would make me feel like a beautiful, elegant princess if I were to wear it to my school's actual prom. The dress is modeled to compliment my body type, skin color, and hair color. The black of the dress makes my pale skin shine, the red matches my beautiful, fiery red hair, and the gold ties it all together as a gorgeous, shiny accent color. The intricate, ornate designs on the dress also give it an elegant feel, so when I wear it I feel like a true prom QUEEN! With the beautifully complex designs, complimentary colors, and a perfect fit, this dress makes me feel gorgeous, confident, and like a true princess.
50
Rolls
116
Hours
Sierra
C.
Inspiration:
My inspiration for the dress came from the movie Princess and the Frog. Tiana, the princess in the movie, was Disney’s first African American Princess. Tiana worked hard for her goals and she reminds me everyday that anything is possible with determination and passion. I decided to recreate her dress and added my own twist to it. This dress inspires me to appreciate everything in life and proves that hard work results in magical accomplishments.
29
Rolls
98
Hours
Elise
C.
Inspiration:
My design was inspired by koi fish. Koi fish are not only aesthetic and colorful, they also symbolize perseverance, good fortune and strength. The dress itself is modern yet simplistic with a sweetheart neckline and full length skirt. This was a fun and engaging experience that I won't forget anytime soon!
18
Rolls
36
Hours
De'Shaia
V.
Inspiration:
My inspiration as far as putting roses on a dress was my artwork. I tend to put roses similar to these on my canvas art and thought it would be cool as a dress. I also thought the brightness of the yellow and softness of the gray would make a nice pair.
10
Rolls
40
Hours
Caley
L.
Inspiration:
The inspiration for this dress came from what I kind of wanted my homecoming dress to be if I went to homecoming. I then modified it so it would be more fit for prom dress by making it longer.
6
Rolls
25
Hours
Emily
I.
Inspiration:
This difficult period of time amid the COVID-19 pandemic has given me the opportunity to think about all the things in life that I am grateful for, as well as my identity as a person. From here, I drew my inspiration for my prom dress; I wanted to create a dress that embodied me as a person. The main influences for my dress include ballet, nature, my culture and a few of my other interests. Ballet and nature are two things I have grown up surrounded by and thus they have had a big impact on my dress. The shape of the dress is largely influenced by classical romantic tutus, such as the ones from Giselle, my favorite ballet. The detailing on the dress is inspired by all the beautiful feats of nature I have seen, hence the many flowers and leaves on my dress. However, the back of the skirt is influenced by aspects of Victorian gothic architecture, such as the little details on the overhangs of buildings. Growing up in Ontario, Canada as a Chinese person has no doubt had a profound impact on my identity. I decided to represent Ontario by creating earrings with trillium flowers, which are the provincial flowers of Ontario. To represent my Chinese background, I detailed my pointe shoes with peonies which are flowers traditionally printed on qipao (a traditional dress worn during celebrations). I have really loved working on every aspect of this dress and I have had a lot of fun creating it. Thank you so much Duck Tape for this amazing opportunity to create such a unique project that I will remember for many years to come!
20
Rolls
35
Hours
Kaleimaulialoha
G.
Inspiration:
Because of Covid-19, it was important to me to make a prom dress that I would have worn to prom. I have always wanted a floor length dress, so I decided to make one. I was inspired by the delicate flowers that bloom in the spring. Each flower and leaf was hand cut and placed on the dress. It created a delicate, falling effect on the dress. I am happy with my first and last prom dress.
14
Rolls
25
Hours
Muya
K.
Inspiration:
During this time, when tensions are running high and people are fighting for their lives and basic rights, it's important to embrace your culture and who you are. I made this dress out of the color of my country's flag because I'm not only proud to be Black, but to be from Congo, Africa. People like me are dying on the streets because of their complexion and in the midst of all that, I still want to be bold and embrace where I come from. I don't want to be ashamed, so here's to embracing my true colors. #blacklivesmatter
6
Rolls
27
Hours
Yvette
C.
Inspiration:
Inspired by Hairspray and my love for black and white.
5
Rolls
28
Hours
Tyler
B.
Inspiration:
My dad was in the military and that gives me a sense of National pride. I think its also perfect for the crisis that we are going through because we all should unite during this time. We are the United States after all. I took some design inspiration from Uncle Sam and his suit because he's been a mascot for America for many years. I also realized that if turned sideways, my suit looks like the flag. That is why I added the golden sequins to represent the Golden flagpole.
11
Rolls
54
Hours
Amy
K.
Inspiration:
My inspiration for my dress was the children’s book “The Rainbow Fish”, by Marcus Pfister. It was one of my favorite books as a child and I thought it would be a good dress theme. I made individual scales out of light blue, lavender, and mint colored tape, with a few silver scales placed throughout.
31
Rolls
46
Hours
Emma
B.
Inspiration:
Overall, what inspired me was the thought that everyone deserves their princess moment. Prom dresses are excessively expensive. I've never been able to purchase one and feel that "I look pretty" moment. That "this is the dress". Doing this project, I designed a dress I thought would look priceless, but in actuality only cost $15 to make.
Moreover, the colors I chose were for a specific reason. I decided on black because to me, it symbolizes strength and independence. These traits sometimes are used to describe me, so why not show that in my dress? Next, the gold was added. Spiritually, gold symbolizes “all that is.” This color is full of energy and empowers me to feel beautiful.
Lastly in the inspirational process was a fictional character. From the hunger games, Katniss Everdene has always been a hero to me, as I am a huge book worm. She is the embodiment of determination and strong will. And looking like her, I knew I too could feel strong.
15
Rolls
23
Hours
Sarah
S.
Inspiration:
My inspiration came from my two favorite aesthetics: the ocean and the stars.
3
Rolls
6
Hours