Claudia
S.
Inspiration:
For my dress I looked to the fashion transition between the 1950s to the 1960s. I utilized the elegant evening gown silhouette made popular by movie stars of the 50s, then chose to use clear duct tape to pay homage to the more MOD style of the 1960s. I incorporated the trendy pastel and washed out colors of the 60s, and modernized them by adding brighter accent colors. Asymmetry and mixing patterns was another 60s trend, which I hinted at by contrasting the asymmetric circles with the abstract shapes of the bodice. I had so much fun making this, hope you enjoy!
16
Rolls
73
Hours
Reyna
C.
Inspiration:
My inspiration came from my quinceanera, a tradition my culture has been doing for many years. My quinceanera theme was butterflies and my colors were red and silver. I wanted to bring it back because I truly miss it but I decided to add a twist to it. Butterflies are vivid and charismatic, they’re beautiful with many vibrant colors. I wanted to show that in my design so I decided to make beautiful bright butterflies.
19
Rolls
51
Hours
Avery
B.
Inspiration:
I have been inspired by many things, but while making this dress, one of my inspirations came from the city of Portland, which is where I am from. Portland is known as the “city of roses”, so I wanted to create a dress that captured that look. Coincidentally, the city of Portland is facing many hardships, so the red and gold roses represent universal love that we all are in need of. I created this dress in hopes of showcasing Portland roots, and hopefully if I win, I plan to put the money towards college.
This upcoming fall I will be starting nursing school. And while realizing my soon to be reality, it has made me think about all the craziness nurses have been through recently, so I have dedicated this dress to them as well, remembering they are in need of a lot of love too.
Making this dress took a LOT of time and hard work. I didn’t use any clothing or base when making this dress. It is completely Duck Tape (with the exception of 1 piece of paper). And each rose was made carefully and by me. This took many hours, because for each rose, I had to cut out little tiny petals then make them into beautiful roses. The roses themselves took a total of 8+ hours. Although it was very hard attempting to make a “great” dress, I had a amazing time using my creative skills while reflecting on the world’s situation. I know my creation doesn’t change the world, but I hope the symbolism in my dress makes others feel they are not alone.
10
Rolls
11
Hours
Alvaro
A.
Inspiration:
My inspiration for this tuxedo was a secret agent, James Bond type of vibe. This would have been my senior prom so I was hoping to stand out with class and style. I aimed to make my outfit represent the glamour of a night at the gala. To dress as sharp as 007, I researched key elements that would differentiate a tuxedo from a suit. Therefore, I used black tape to represent the black satin on the sharp peak lapel and pant side strip. Going for a secret agent look, I figured this was an excellent way of implementing as many accessories as I could. I even incorporated a secret message throughout my outfit, hiding 3 A's on different pieces that stood for my initials, Alvaro Abraham Ayala. James Bond has always shown off amazing formal men's fashion which is why I was inspired to create a tuxedo that would make one feel confident. My color scheme was based on elegance, using two types of gold to bounce off each other on the sleek maroon. I love hands-on projects and paying attention to detail which is what kept me going through challenging parts. I fell in love with the prom look I put together and hope everyone likes it!
8
Rolls
35
Hours
Carley
F.
Inspiration:
I really did not have that much inspiration at first, I just really liked the blue color. It was not until I came home that I came up with a sketch and design for the dress. I just went with the color that spoke with me the most and based the whole dress off of how to make the color pop with whatever design I choose.
8
Rolls
32
Hours
Lexi
R.
Inspiration:
The inspiration for my outfit was influenced by vintage fashion with a little bit of imagination. I wanted to create a style that one would not find in a store. My dress took a whimsical turn by incorporating bright colors, bringing back a touch of the 50’s style to the top and a dash of creativity to the bottom. With that said, I wanted to design a master piece that didn't appear in the real world. Additionally, the theme to my high school prom was supposed to be Fire and Ice, hence I chose to use red, fuchsia, hot pink, soft pink ending with glitter white. However, due to COVID-19 the prom was cancelled. I decided to honor the theme as a way to remember my senior year, even though I wasn't able to attend prom yet I was still able to wear a beautiful dress.
14
Rolls
104
Hours
Addison
P.
Inspiration:
My inspiration for this dress was this gorgeous necklace that my mom had given me a couple years back. It is strung together by what looked like palm leaves and then had flowers with gems in the middle. For the shape of the dress I found this runway dress off Pinterest that had a very unique sleeve pattern. On one side it had a draped off the shoulder strap and the other draped over the shoulder and created a train in the back.
10
Rolls
37
Hours
Nailah
M.
Inspiration:
I really wanted to create something that accurately portrayed my personality and who I am as a person. I was very intentional about color choice and that was my main priority. In my essay I further explained what each color represented. I used a lot of bright colors because in a time in which there is so much grief and sorrow, we could all use a little joy.
15
Rolls
40
Hours
Itza
C.
Inspiration:
The main inspiration of the bow dress was based on a bow tie and the 2019 Metropolitan Museum's exhibition. At a young age, I've always had a love for exaggerated and Avant guard garments in fashion. This bloomed, even more, when the Metropolitan Museum curated the exhibition called Camp: Notes on Fashion. Learning the meaning and history of camp allowed me to base my idea on the dress. The reason why an immense bow tie was created was because of its intricate structure. Additionally, lapels were added to the shape because it added another layer into the dress. Lastly, the hat in this design was based on the hats in the 1910s.
11
Rolls
95
Hours
Arielle
A.
Inspiration:
I was inspired by the many women who confidently wear a suit! The silhouette of the pant was inspired by suit styles in the 70s, and I made the suit monochrome white to achieve a classy and minimalist, yet eye catching look.
14
Rolls
36
Hours
Gozong
X.
Inspiration:
My culture and interest in the Greek Gorgo, Medusa, are the inspirations for my dress. Since I was a child, I loved snakes. Although my parents were afraid of them, I was the odd child who’d gladly pick up a snake in the forest. The goldtone on the snake was inspired by my attraction for yellow cobras and pythons. In the Hmong culture, snakes are seen as our ancestors’ messengers who guide our path to warn us of danger. For example, if a snake crosses your path on a trail, it is a sign to not proceed ahead. If the warning is ignored, an incident might transpire if you continue your path. Similarly, snakes were seen as messengers of the Underworld in Greek mythology. Fascinated by Greek mythology and the Hmong culture, I incorporated this in my dress as an inspiration.
10
Rolls
20
Hours
Zoe
S.
Inspiration:
I love the color blue and wanted to make my ideal prom dress. I was also inspired by the colors and style of the dress on the cover from one of my favorite books, The Selection. It is aqua and has a sweetheart neckline and has layers of ruffles which I modeled with my layers of feathers. I also love the beauty of peacock feathers which is why I chose the colors I did and why I wanted to include feathers in my design. I also was inspired by my moms prom dress that she wore in the 80's with its knee length bright colors. I had so much fun making this dress while face timing my friend during quarantine.
6
Rolls
28
Hours
Karol
Y.
Inspiration:
I took inspiration from an old dress I made from recyclable items and, my favorite color, red.
16
Rolls
32
Hours
Dominic
S.
Inspiration:
I come from an Italian family and I love music. I really like the look of the older Italian suits that Frank Sinatra wore so I used that style, but incorporated the Italian flag on the lining. It wasn’t easy to make a scarf from Duck Tape! This was a very fun process, thank you for the opportunity!
9
Rolls
22
Hours
Sophia
B.
Inspiration:
When I first heard of this eccentric scholarship, I got to thinking: “what truly inspires me to make an entire dress from tape?” Well, while reminiscing past thoughts, I settled on a memory from the summer I stayed in New Jersey. During an afternoon stroll to the library, a flutter of extraordinary butterflies (later to be identified as the New Jersey State butterfly) flew around the native bushes and radiant flowers. These minuscule creatures had a base of black with splashes of a bright yellow and a trail of sparkling blue near the bottom of their wings. I instantly claimed this memory as the inspiration for my project. Just how the color black is the base for the butterfly’s wings, and just how black is the base for the color of the train, winning this scholarship could be the base of my future! This grand opportunity could kick-start my college education where I major in Environmental Science so that I can learn to protect, sustain, and restore ecosystems that have inhabitants as vital and beautiful as the butterflies from my memory.
10
Rolls
32
Hours
Alexus
S.
Inspiration:
The Garden of Eden inspired my dress. I wanted to show the purity and beauty of the garden through the dress.
15
Rolls
10
Hours
Daloune
L.
Inspiration:
I was inspired by my favorite colors and my dreams, but in the end my goal was to not give up.
11
Rolls
19
Hours
Emily
B.
Inspiration:
I was inspired to create a dress that looked like it came out of a video game. I wanted something more on the simplistic side, but something that looked like it came from another world. I wanted it to look almost elegant.
7
Rolls
15
Hours
