21 Rolls
103 Hours
I was inspired by one of my favorite poems by Maya Angelou, Caged Bird. The black and white of being free and bonded spoke to me. The pattern I chose reminds me of bird feathers.
4 Rolls
35 Hours
When looking for inspiration for my suit I turned towards some of my favorite places. Historical fashion and clowns. I looked at the unique silhouettes of clown costumes and suits, the various gags associated with them, and suits from the seventies to inspire my patterns. I added high waisted pants, white seam stripes, and a u-neck waistcoat because of the seventies and the oversized bow tie, the boutonniere, and cropped suit jacket because of clowns. I have always been a fan of unconventional fashion and finding inspiration in places that a person might not expect. Sewing and fashion have always been loves of mine so this scholarship was a great challenge and showed me that I can work even with unconventional materials. After completing this I feel even more prepared to go to college for costume design in the fall than ever.
9 Rolls
41 Hours
My dress is inspired by my original character, who is part dove and part angel. They use their wings as a gown. Sadly I can't replicate that to a tee because I can't grow a pair of wings (I wish). This dress is also an homage to birds, the one thing that has kept me hooked since childhood. I've been a birdwatcher since I gained my first conscious thought. This gown comprises of two large wing panels that wrap around the body. There are also 6 large tail panels. The longest being as long as, if not longer than, me. And I'm 67 inches. All of these panels are bedazzled with pearls. Which elevates the ethereal vibe of the dress. Because I'm planning on wearing this dress around, this dress's design incorporates many gaps to increase airflow, which is NEEDED here in Florida. Almost every feather has a wire taped under it. This allows each feather customization and support. The dress wasn't the only thing that I made though. I made a pair of sandals and a wing headpiece. The sandals are cut from gym foam mats and then wrapped in Duck Tape. The wing headpiece was made of Duck Tape with pearls glued on. Each wing on the headpiece had the previously mentioned wire taped on them. Sadly my pictures had to be taken at night due to the constant downpour in Florida. A sign that hurricane season is brewing up.
22 Rolls
18 Hours
The inspiration of this outfit was my own anxiety. The different colors of flowers symbolize all my different emotions, and how I ultimately get through hardships with grace. I made this dress with a lot of tape, breakdowns, and cat hair. Heads up to everyone doing this scholarship, put your pets in another room while you're doing it. Anyways, having anxiety has always held me back, it even tried to tell me I should've given up on this dress many, many times, but here I am and I am proud I finished.
12 Rolls
115 Hours
My inspiration for this tux was my journey into accepting myself and finding a space in my African culture. I have always been a little different from the rest of my family ever since I was born; I look different, I'm not as comfortable in dresses as my mother or sisters are, I can’t speak my mother tongue, and I didnt grow up in Africa. I grew up in an African household but never felt like I truly fit in. But Africa is still a part of me. As I've gotten older, I've grown into my pride in myself and my ancestors. When designing my tux, I wanted to bring attention to African wax print fabric. Typically used in dresses, the fabric is bold, bright, and unapologetically colorful. This fabric really spoke to me, as I aspire to hold these qualities in my life and what I make. This tux isn't just an entry into a contest, it's a statement of my life: I am bold, I am brave, and I am unapologetically me. Regarding my schooling, I have been entranced by the field of engineering. Engineering, as a whole, is an industry where there is little African, let alone female African representation. I aim to carry my culture with me, be the boldest version of myself I can be, and be the best engineer I can be. Bold colors were an important part of my design. I chose red and yellow from my inspiration wax print fabric. Both bold primary colors, they represent strength, energy, and richness. The choice of white was to add some femininity to the tux and make it easier on the eyes. It also represents peace, as I am at peace with myself and the world with my tux. I chose a modern style silhouette with the shirt to bring African fashion into a modern view. I wanted to elevate the tux’s beautiful patterns with a uniquely shaped blazer. In addition, I made the pants extra baggy because that's what makes me feel most like myself. I adore off the shoulder clothes. I made my own tux off of the shoulder to add a sense of drama and debonaire to the suit itself. Beyond that, the idea of breaking the normal traditions of a tux was simply too enticing to let down. One of my favorite personal touches is the fiery-red crocheted duck tape handbag. I love crocheting, it keeps me calm and grounded, even at stressful moments. I created the “yarn” by folding up the duct tape into straps and then creating my own pattern. This accessory, in my mind, is second to none. All in all, it was a very fun challenge. Ultimately, I wanted to make a statement on the beauty of African culture, a celebration of my heritage, a wearable representation of who I am. Thank you for considering my submission for the 2025 Stuck at Prom scholarship contest.
30 Rolls
80 Hours
This dress brings together everything I love—science, art, and storytelling. Growing up in Georgia, the Georgia Aquarium was a commonly visited place for me, and the first thing you see when you walk in—jellyfish—always stayed with me. Their glow, their grace, and their elegance were beautiful. Later, as an ecology event leader in my high school's Science Olympiad, I came to understand the science behind that magic, and it made me further understand its role with connectivity and community. Art has always been part of me. Even before I started formal lessons in 4th grade, I was always drawing and painting—anything to get my ideas out. This dress became a new kind of sketch: one made of tape and found materials. I made the "fabric" by sticking two adhesive sides together, shaped the white extension with cardboard, and pleated the tape strips by hand to form jellyfish-like tentacles. The scalloping also along the edges of the dress mimics the soft, undulating rim of a jellyfish, adding to its sense of organic movement and flow. I even built the blue dress directly on my own body—because I didn’t have a mannequin—and honestly, it made the process more personal. The hat was made the same way: a taped semicircle resembling a jellyfish bell, topped with pearls for a soft aquatic feel. I also created mini semicircle tape cutouts to accentuate its flowlines. Pearls are draped and stuck on the hat to create a more aesthetic and aquatic feeling as well. There are also sea creatures are tucked all over the dress, a nod to the marine life that inspired it, and an expression of that connectivity. My design was inspired by Elsa Schiaparelli, one of my favorite designers with her bold silhouettes and meaningful messages carried out by the motifs in her dresses. My dress's extension was inspired by these silhouettes as it is not only very large, but also shaped like a jellyfish, further contributing to the motif. The conch shell phone adds a realistic teenage element to the outfit as let’s be honest, phones are a lifeline for teens. Arguably bad, but undeniably made the world more connected and allowed for more self expression. And the flower corsage is just a homage to traditional prom elements, but to me it also symbolized growing up and transformation. The process was slow, sometimes frustrating, and entirely worth it. Every fold and detail carries part of me: the scientist, the artist, the kid still staring at jellyfish in awe.
15 Rolls
21 Hours
I took inspiration from this year’s Met Gala and turned it into something different and fun. I love black and white and I wanted to incorporate that into my dress. I made sure when creating the dress that the tape laid in a specific way when I was making it because I wanted to give tailored just for me. I hope you love it just as much as I do!
14 Rolls
50 Hours
My outfit was inspired by my favorite scenery: koi fish ponds with beautiful lily pads. Pink water lilies are one of my favorite flowers and was the theme of my design. It took a lot of trial and error (along with a lot of Duck Tape) to find which elements would complement my dress and which would be too distracting. I spent time sketching multiple designs and making different accessories to combine with my water lily dress.
24 Rolls
113 Hours
I have gone to Mexico two times to visit my family, and each time I was gifted an embroidered dress from my grandma. My dress was inspired by Maya culture and my grandma's embroidery. I used many parts of Maya culture on my dress, such as the Maya calendar and El Castillo temple. My grandma's embroidery and beautiful patterns served as a huge inspiration for my dress. I used tape to put the beautiful patterns on mu dress just like my grandma does with needle and thread. This dress has challenged me but has also brought me closer to my culture and family. i used this dress as a way to honor both my heritage and family.
20 Rolls
35 Hours
This look was inspired by my senior year fashion collection, which told the story of Alice, from Alice in wonderland. This was my favorite story growing up, which only made it fitting that she be the inspiration for the collection, and subsequently this look. I often find myself relating to Alice, I faced many trials and tribulations in my high school career, just as she did in her journey home. This look is a tribute to finding who you are, and being confident in it, just like Alice. This look features a cropped blazer with a lace dress top underneath. It’s been paired with trousers with a skirt of cards surrounding it. I accessorized it with a bow tie and heels that have matching card suits. I wanted to turn a tux, which is a typically masculine look, feminine, a tribute to empowerment.
6 Rolls
38 Hours
A year ago when I first heard about the “Stuck at Prom” challenge I chuckled to myself, thinking “That’s crazy, it will never work!” Despite telling myself that making a beautiful Duck® tape dress was impossible, and that I would be too busy at the end of the year to work on it, several designs began drifting around in my mind. The top candidate was a two-colored dress modeled after peacock plumage. I adore the coloring and the majesty of this beautiful bird, and I thought it would be a fascinating challenge. My peacock-inspired design leverages the malleability of Duck tape to create a wearable piece of art layering 160 hand-cut feathers into a blue metallic bodice and a green high-low style dress. This dress took around 38 hours to complete, but I enjoyed every minute of it! I made the feathers using Duck tape and wire which gave each feather a more realistic look, as well as helped fluff out and shape the feathers when the dress was assembled. I dulled two pairs of scissors from the amount of cuts needed to make the feather barbs look as realistic as possible. By the end of this project I invested around 24 hours to make over 160 feathers! For the accessories, I chose to make the outfit 1920’s themed because feathers were very popular during that period. I accessorized with a mini Duck tape top hat with a few Duck tape feathers on it, which is also inspired from the popular fashion of the 1920’s and ‘30s. Although the mini hats were usually used with suits during the time period, I liked the idea and decided that I wanted to add a bit of that culture to my project.
7 Rolls
22 Hours
For this piece I was inspired by all of the fantasy books I read. There are always such beautiful dresses described and it has always been a dream of mine to make something like that. I wanted to keep it very simple and classic but also have it be super fun and whimsical.
8 Rolls
35 Hours
Peace! My name is Nile, and I'm from Opelousas, Louisiana. I was inspired by Mardi Gras and its festive season to create this dress. I looked at numerous pictures for inspiration until I developed the perfect idea. In Louisiana, we have Mardi Gras balls before the parades, and I drew inspiration from the beautiful dresses worn at these events.
12 Rolls
17 Hours
My sister always listened to country music and I didn't like it. One day in the car she played a song that I liked! We ended up going to a country music concert together. The inspiration for my tux design represents keeping an open mind.
19 Rolls
30 Hours
I was inspired by my home city of Miami, Florida. The city is full of bright lights and colorful culture, and it always has a peacock freely roaming. I also love the game Clue. I am the oldest of around fifteen cousins, and it's tradition to play Clue at family reunions. I wanted to convey the vibrancy and interconnectedness of where I am from. The dress reminds me of my home, my favorite game, and the family I will always keep with me.
21 Rolls
90 Hours
The prom I will attend this year is the senior prom — It is the very first and last one I will be part of before I graduate high school. Briannica explains that the event is considered a rite of passage; therefore, I want my attire to hold great meaning. My Papa is from Zambales, Philippines, where his family's livelihood is fishing. Additionally, when he got married, he spent 27 years working abroad as a seaman to provide for us. Hence, my theme is the ocean, adorned with pearls, shells, and anchors. This is all put together with the idea of weaving, which is a cultural practice in my Mama's home, the Antique province. As a graduating student, at my prom, I want to continue carrying meaningful elements by adding a graphic of me and my parents at my graduation, depicting that I wouldn't have accomplished what I have achieved now without them.
18 Rolls
35 Hours
This dress was inspired by the many famous stained glass within churches such as the Saint-Chapelle and the Chapel of Thanks-giving. I chose stained glass because of its symbolism, that something that was once broken can be made beautiful again.
17 Rolls
25 Hours
My inspiration in creating this dress was from two different ideas. The first was that I wanted to make something inspired by stained glass. It took me a while to decide what kind of thing I wanted to make in my stained glass. I was inspired by the stained glass windows that I see in cathedrals, and by the glass art we made in my sculpture class this year. Even though I was partially inspired by cathedrals I didn't want to make something religious because I felt that would limit the audience who could enjoy it. Eventually I decided to create a piece inspired by the legends surrounding King Arthur. In the front, I decided to feature Excalibur, and on either side looking in I choose to put King Arthur and Merlin. For the skirt I choose to put the sun, to represent new beginnings.