Stuck At Prom®
Caitlin W.
11 Rolls
52 Hours
Inspiration:
I've recently fallen in love with deco era art, and I felt that this Duck Tape dress would be a perfect opportunity to create something in that style. My initial inspiration came from the stained glass works of Frank Lloyd Wright. I find his use of color and line design incredibly captivating, and I wanted to emulate some of those design patterns in my own creation. I also drew inspiration from 1920s flapper dresses, with their intricate beaded details. I tried to create the impression of this beaded style with lots of thin pieces of Duck Tape. I really enjoyed the experience of creating this dress, and it was incredibly gratifying to see my design become reality!
Stuck At Prom®
Victoria H.
14 Rolls
29 Hours
Inspiration:
The inspiration for this prom dress was Patrick Kelly. He made a black dress with a heart-like corset made with buttons. I also did this for a class assignment for the end of the year. On the black side of the skirt, it may look like footballs, but to me, they look like tennis balls because I like to play tennis. On the white side, I did sprinkles because I like rainbows and sprinkles. I did black and white for the skirt to give it a Cruella-type look. I also made a coin purse and a hair bow.
Stuck At Prom®
Clio V.
20 Rolls
60 Hours
Inspiration:
I love historical fashion, so my dress is inspired by a 1770s robe a l'anglaise. From a young age, I've been very interested in aquatic ecosystems, so I decided to incorporate the visual theme of a pond. I loved the idea of making the characteristic split overskirt of a robe a l'anglaise look like lily pads, and I made the layer underneath simple and blue to be the water. The drips on the sleeves are inspired by sleeve ruffles that reminded me of the shape of water drips that I noticed in a photo of a 1770s dress in the Met Museum's collection. My accessories are also historically inspired. In the 18th century it was common for women to wear detached pockets to carry things instead of bags, and these pockets were often beautifully decorated with embroidery. I made an 18th century-style pocket decorated with a koi fish to fit my pond theme. Hair and hats of the 1770s were extremely extravagant, and the rowboat hat I made is a nod to a specific fashion trend in France in the mid 1770s, where women wore model ships as headpieces to celebrate the victory of a French frigate over a British Royal Navy vessel. My project was almost as much about the research and design of my dress as it was about the construction of the actual dress itself. I spent a lot of time looking at historical fashion plates, reading about fashion in the 1770s, and examining photos of extant dresses from the time period in museum collections. The process of researching and adapting historical elements to fit my nontraditional duck tape dress was my favorite part of this project, and I learned a ton in the process!
Stuck At Prom®
Brenna M.
14 Rolls
27 Hours
Inspiration:
I started this dress not too long before pride month began and this is the first year that I will be out as pansexual. This dress was made to be simple and unassuming from the front but a vibrant display of my sexuality and newfound confidence from the back. It is a physical representation of how I slowly became more comfortable showing my true self to others and how I can finally proudly celebrate this pride month in my true colors.
Stuck At Prom®
Meher S.
7 Rolls
65 Hours
Inspiration:
Before I started with this dress, I was learning about Victorian and Medieval Europe in my history class and became very enamored with the structure and look of the clothing from those eras, more notably the hoop skirt. So when I found our about this contest, I wanted to incorporate this that piece into my dress. In my dress, I made it a point to use this hoop skirt very unconventionally by using it as my standout piece rather than covering it up. I wanted to use it in this fashion to point out how over time our trends shift but all always still relevant. By wearing it as a piece on top of my skirt, it shows how while modern fashion is edgy, it still pays respect to older ideas. Continuing, I wanted to use bright colors such red and yellow to honor my heritage because within the Indian community, colors such as these are used in everyday life and are integral to our celebrations.
Stuck At Prom®
Ella R.
12 Rolls
52 Hours
Inspiration:
Since I was a little girl, I've loved butterflies and have learned the word for butterfly in at least 9 different languages. I've also always loved sunflowers for the way they look and make me feel. When my family situation changed at the age of 12 I perhaps grew up faster than I wanted and in some ways took on more of an adult role than I wanted or even realized. A few years later as I mostly had things "figured out" at least for a teenager, COVID hit. Then classes went online, normal activities got interrupted, and friendships went more virtual. Our dances were canceled too. I think this dress captures all parts of me: the little girl who will forever love butterflies and sunflowers and all the joy they bring to my life; the creative kid who enjoys anything artistic, the teen who wants to know what life will be like when I go off to college while admitting I'm both excited and a bit (or a lot) nervous, and the fun (and sometimes goofy) not yet adult who's happy to get to hang with a friend and let her take my picture in a dress of Duck tape as we thought of cool ways to pose in the park near my house. I'm happy with who I am, and where I am in my life and I hope this contest let others showcase that in themselves too.
Stuck At Prom®
Andrew P.
12 Rolls
30 Hours
Inspiration:
The inspiration for my suit come from a show I love called One Piece. It is about fictional pirates all trying to find the world's greatest treasure; the One Piece. The main character is named Luffy and recently in the show he has been wearing a red button up shirt with a black cape. I really wanted to mirror that in my original piece so I made it red with a cape, but instead of pants I made them into suit shorts just like what Luffy wears in the show.
Stuck At Prom®
Kate A.
15 Rolls
15 Hours
Inspiration:
This tux is a Mayan inspired Zoot Suit. The Zoot Suit Riot is my inspiration for this outfit, which affected Mexican Americans and is defined by its baggy suits. I also tied this suit back to something further in history: Mayan civilization. The colors used are found in elite Mayan clothing. So, the suit itself not only symbolizes the Mayans, a Mexican civilization, but also relates to a more recent past of the hardships faced by Latinos in America to connect to my Mexican heritage.
Stuck At Prom®
Riley N.
5 Rolls
30 Hours
Inspiration:
Growing up learning the colour “rule”: Pink is for girls and Blue is for boys has always stayed with me. I realize that this is a ridiculous rule and completely invalid; however, in my mind, I could not accept that if I wear pink, I may be seen as not manly. I wanted to create a pink suit to step out of my comfort zone, take a progressive step forward, and embrace that gender colours are outdated and shouldn’t even exist. Maybe I will encourage others to embrace this way of thinking, resulting in a society with fewer stereotypes, less sexism, and less prejudice. As you can see in the pink suit I made, I wanted it to be a suit that I could wear to the prom if I chose to, so it had to be of good quality with good attention to detail. No one wears a wrinkly suit to their prom. Ensuring the tape had no creases was a challenge and called for patience, but one that, for the most part, I conquered. I wanted to make a bold statement in my mind by introducing a second pattern/colour to the lapel, cuffs and pockets – after all, who doesn’t love dogs? Not forgetting about accessorizing my suite, I added a bow tie, hanker chief, boutonniere, and of course, adding to the “cool factor,” a fedora with a feather was a must. Who would have thought that this cool Duck Tape scholarship contest that I thought initially would be a piece of cake to complete turned out to be much more than a contest and taught me a lesson or two about who I am and who I want to be…turned out to be the “pink” icing on the cake!!
Stuck At Prom®
Selah L.
6 Rolls
59 Hours
Inspiration:
I started looking for inspiration and was drawn to a particularly beautiful moth, the Cecropia moth. The vibrant colors spoke to me, and I knew instantly my design would represent the colors and style of the moth.
Stuck At Prom®
Leah A.
8 Rolls
20 Hours
Inspiration:
The inspiration behind this dress came from my love of mushrooms. They are very bright and colorful even if there are only two colors. I've made many projects that have mushrooms and I love all of them. The inspiration behind the style of the skirt came from the musical SIX. Anne Boleyn has a very interesting skirt and I tried to emulate that with the mushroom skirt. The idea behind the sleeves came from Rachel Maksy, a youtuber who made similar sleeves out of fabric. I love sewing and working in new and creative ways, and when I heard about Stuck at Prom I thought it would be a great way to test my skills.
Stuck At Prom®
Eli Z.
29 Rolls
172 Hours
Inspiration:
I have always loved crazy fashion, I dressed in costumes everywhere I went from the time I was 5 years old til I was 10 years old and even developed my own crazy fashion of cowboy hats and safari vests along with crazy clothing combinations. I got into making duct tape crafts when I was 12 when I saw my art teaher using duck brands snake skin duct tape. I started making small bags, fedoras, and small bullwhips but over time I have made all kinds of hats, shoulder bags, boots, belt pouches, jackets, corset dresses, a 16 foot silver bullwhip and my many multi pocket vests that I use everyday to carry my stuff. I have also have my own duct tape business called EZ Duck Tape Crafts where I have made my freinds, family, and people I hardly know duct tape crafts. I ounce made a bespoke animal print duct tape vest for my Orthodontist Dr.Lineberger earning my name of the duct tape guy at my school. My school nurse told me about stuck at prom this year so when my first day of summer vacation came I went to work. Most of my outfits inspiration was from my love of western clothes along with what celebrities and my favorite fictional characters have worn.
Stuck At Prom®
Hayley G.
15 Rolls
73 Hours
Inspiration:
10 impossible things. In Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Alice states her father and herself think of ten seemingly impossible things before breakfast. With this dress, everyone said it was almost impossible, but that just pushed me even more. Alice in Wonderland has had such a big impact on my life and how I show my self and my personality. It showed me to be myself along with my mom. She taught me that normal is a social construct to make people fit in the mold. Without her this never would have been possible.
Stuck At Prom®
Lizber P.
23 Rolls
118 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration is based on Chinese culture. I wanted to show the flow and calming nature they have in there ways from their temples to their beliefs. Starting with the dragon that they believe represent great power, good luck, and strength. They are an essential aspect of their culture and are seen in pictures and festivals. The dragon is believed to have power that help overcome any obstacles. They are enthusiastic, intelligent, confident, and much more. They are very much respect in Chinese culture. Another inspiration is their influence in bonsai trees, lotus flowers, temples, and the ancient Chinese dragon goddess.
Stuck At Prom®
Ava C.
8 Rolls
15 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration for the dress came from my love of whimsical dresses with a floral touch. I created the dress using pink and white duct tape for the base and adding more cool colored tape for all of the flowery details. In order to add a unique aspect to the dress, I created a one sleeved bodice with a giant flower as the sleeve. I wanted the dress to reflect the feeling and colors of spring and the month that my prom took place in.
Stuck At Prom®
Annie P.
36 Rolls
176 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration for this dress was my allergies. Around the age of six, I was diagnosed with seasonal allergies, but unfortunately, my symptoms have only gotten worse as I got older. This upset me because I love plants and flowers for their many colors and hidden meanings. I always had a goal to eventually have a small flower shop or at least a garden, but my allergies sometimes prevent me from even being outside for too long. Recently my dream has come true and I have finally had the time and money to start allergy immunotherapy. The process has been a bit rough, but I’m excited to see the results by the end of my treatment. With that in mind, my goal was to create a dress that symbolized a garden growing on my body while being infected by a disease or, in this case, my allergies. I chose to have a rainbow of colors to show the variety of hues flowers come in and the color white as a base color to highlight and brighten the hues. As a contrasting effect, I chose black duct tape for my body to represent my allergies. As seen in the pictures, I also decided to make a black rose to show I have accepted my fate of “being plagued”. Overall, I wanted to communicate that although I love plants and flowers, I’ve had to come to terms with my limitations around them. Thankfully, I’ve started immunotherapy, so my dream of owning a flower shop might come true.
Stuck At Prom®
Michaela W.
20 Rolls
31 Hours
Inspiration:
This outfit was created with a floral, spring time vision in mind. I wanted to use pastel colors to make the dress appear light and fairy-like. The two-piece idea came mostly from knowing I wanted it to have some functionality and be able to move around in it. I did a loose concept sketch for this dress but the creation of it was mostly go with the flow and see what happens as I've not used Duck Tape in many years. It was a fun, albeit very sticky, experience!
Stuck At Prom®
Torrie B.
8 Rolls
20 Hours
Inspiration:
Though so simple in appearance, this dress represents something much more intricate to me – the strong women in my family. I have green, for my Gran-Gran, who inspires me to grow positively and let go of the things I cannot control. Turquoise, for my Auna, who brings peace to my life and calms me from the fiery red. For my Momma, blue, for she protects me and is the safest place I know. And last, but not least, purple flowers for my Gaby, as she was as royal and beautiful as they come, and it is from her in which the women in my family and I bloomed. Her flowers surround the paisley pattern – which has all of the colors used – just like her love and spirit will forever surround our hearts.
Caitlin
W.
Victoria
H.
Clio
V.
Brenna
M.
Meher
S.
Ella
R.
Andrew
P.
Kate
A.
Riley
N.
Selah
L.
Leah
A.
Eli
Z.
Hayley
G.
Lizber
P.
Ava
C.
Annie
P.
Michaela
W.