Stuck At Prom®
Owen M.
9 Rolls
56 Hours
Inspiration:
When coming up with the idea for the costume, I drew inspiration from other alternative artists like Harry Whitfield (aka Charity Kase) and Jovan Bridges (aka Yvie Oddly). Originally, this costume idea started off as one of many doodles in my history notebook. I wanted to create something that was out of the box and had a lot of personal meaning to me. Instead of going for a typical prom outfit, I went with an idea of a prom for monsters. The monster that I made is a characterization of my internalized toxic masculinity and how it affected my social anxiety. The pink parts of the costume are meant to be my inner femininity tearing through the masculine shell that I show the world. Whenever I'm in public places, I tend to just not do anything with my body in order to not seem feminine and more normal. Ironically, when I do this I look even weirder than I would if I was just myself. This character that I have created is meant to represent this weirdness that I feel in public places and what better public place to put this creature in than prom?
Stuck At Prom®
Aiden M.
13 Rolls
7 Hours
Inspiration:
I used Black and Blue marble Duck tape to create pants, a vest, and a bowtie tux. I opted for no sleeves because of how hot it currently is here, and Duck tape does not allow for much air flow. I chose these specific rolls of Duck tape because it offered color and seriousness.
Stuck At Prom®
Nathan E.
20 Rolls
35 Hours
Inspiration:
Greetings! For anyone taking time to look into my entry I wanted to say Thank You and I hope you enjoy it! Growing up with a humble upbringing meant we had to shop at thrift stores every once in a while which I personally wasn’t mad about. In fact I actually loved going to the thrift stores. I can remember times while I was growing up that my mom and dad would be playing awesome songs like “Heart Of Glass” by Blondie or “Dancing Queen” by ABBA and also “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth Wind & Fire. So it’s no surprise that while coming up with a concept for my tuxedo I wanted to pay homage to one of mine and my parents favorite decades, the 70s! I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of the nightlife of the time. The flashing lights, the bright colors, and of course the awesome music have always fascinated me. This garment comes with 44 alternating fringe pieces, leading down to 3 1/2 feet wide flared bottoms, and a groovy tuxedo fit for Tony Manero himself . Another piece of inspiration came from the idea “flower power”. Originally a term thought of by Alan Ginsberg in 1965 it carried its way into the 70s with its iconic groovy and floral designs. These elements are incorporated to the flared bottoms as well as the backpack and the boots. The back of the tux is inspired by a button-down that I thrifted with my mom and dad .
Stuck At Prom®
Jessica C.
42 Rolls
223 Hours
Inspiration:
During these past few years, there have been a lot of changes, and there have been a lot of ways to handle stresses or difficult challenges. One of the ways I coped with the changes around me was reading. I became obsessed, particularly with reincarnation revenge novels. The storyline of these plots consisted of a character traveling back in time with the knowledge they already had, in order to be given a second chance to rectify their mistakes and change their fate. When thinking of what to create for this project, I was inspired by the renaissance time era in which a lot of the characters flourished. I wanted to incorporate a design that deviated from the standard norm and defied what's considered typical, which is why I was motivated to produce gloved sleeves. I chose royal blue as the main color, to evoke feelings of power and authority, as it has been used throughout history as a regal shade. Then, I manufactured the diamonds and flowers as a contrast of weakness and strength. Just like the characters in novels, I aspire to be someone who can persevere through difficult circumstances and succeed in life despite the odds of failure. I hope that through this scholarship opportunity, I can be fortunate enough to be given a chance at redemption in order to build on my past and grow for the better.
Stuck At Prom®
Nada M.
20 Rolls
113 Hours
Inspiration:
I've always noticed the contrast between the villain outfits in movies and their main character counterparts. So, my inspiration was all about contrast and the concept of being bold which is usually found in villainous articles of clothing. There are many traits of my dress that all come together to represent my theme. The black base created a perfect background for bold designs that really stand out much better than they would've for other colours. The fire encompassing my dress can represent a number of many things such as strength and power but also destruction, which simultaneously goes back to my villainous theme. The combination of the powerful and destructive power the fire provides alongside the roses; presenting innocence and beauty creates a contrast that villains usually supply within their characters and wardrobes. Finally, one of my favourite parts of the design are the roses on fire on the top part of my dress. I feel that that image can represent so many things including the representation of beauty mixed with power. But the most important aspect of my dress that not only makes it stand out but feeds into the theme, is the actual design of the dress. From the mysterious hooded cloak to the extended shoulder outline to the exagerated hips that narrow down near the legs to then flourish out beneath me, I would personally say that that is a pretty dramatic and bold look. My outfit combines beauty, extravagance and a sense of power that anyone would want to be a part of. And with this dress, they can! A message I would love to send with my creation is proving that a modest article of clothing can still be stunning and that I was able to achieve that. I am really proud of myself for how far I've gone and all of the challenges I surpassed especially when bringing my vision to life. I'm proud of the countless hours I've sat working on the intricate design of the flames and the body of the dress and I'm overjoyed that I have come to this point and that I never gave up!
Stuck At Prom®
Charles D.
5 Rolls
2 Hours
Inspiration:
The 70s Disco theme really popped out to me when designing this. The reflective yet colorful Duck Tape made this really stand out along with the black and purple core of the tuxedo.
Stuck At Prom®
Anjali G.
16 Rolls
45 Hours
Inspiration:
I was inspired by the gold rush in California, and my love for flowers and nature, which is why I included lots of gold flowers. I liked the black tape because it juxtaposed the gold and let it really shine.
Stuck At Prom®
Rhiannon E.
10 Rolls
31 Hours
Inspiration:
The inspirations to create the dress were my mom’s love for butterflies, my sister’s favorite colors and to prove my ingenuity and creativity to my dad. My family has always been supportive of me creating beautiful pieces of art and were very glad to help me. I first made the dress out of wax paper then used it as a template for the duct tape pieces.
Stuck At Prom®
George M.
7 Rolls
8 Hours
Inspiration:
It inspired me to make a outfit better than other outfits.
Stuck At Prom®
Kayla C.
20 Rolls
50 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration for this dress came from the war going on in Ukraine. I started this dress when the invasion from Russia had just begun and I wanted to bring light into this unfortunate time. I wanted to represent Ukraine and show my support for them.
Stuck At Prom®
Eleanor K.
40 Rolls
50 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration was based on my heritage as well as world events, Ukraine is in hard times and this dress sort of shows how beautiful their culture is. It also reminds us of world issues and how lucky we are.
Stuck At Prom®
Margaret J.
15 Rolls
15 Hours
Inspiration:
My grandma instilled in me, from an early age, to love dressmaking. And I am always up for a challenge, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. For the dress itself, I got inspiration from my heritage and the simplicity of the design.
Stuck At Prom®
Grace V.
45 Rolls
143 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration came from the Yin and Yang theory. There's so much to uncover about this idea, yet it's symbol is portrayed in such a simple way. In brief, it illustrates the concept of harmony and balance between opposing forces. My dress exemplifies the well- known symbol of Yin and Yang. The lesson I have gained from this philosophy is how to build a stabilized and balanced routine in my life. I have an auditory processing disability which makes it harder to complete tasks promptly. Time management is crucial to my success. While maintaining a busy schedule, I have incorporated habits to level out the stress. Things like yoga, meditation, eating less processed foods, prayer, and daily exercise can help me accomplish the goals I have set for myself. Ever since I was young, I have loved the idea of showing who we are on the inside with what we wear on the outside. Clothing has the ability to transform how we feel and also influence how we make others feel. I have always aspired to pursue a career in fashion and hope this can be the start of something big.
Stuck At Prom®
Monica G.
27 Rolls
92 Hours
Inspiration:
My inspiration for my outfit was the Venetian Carnivale and the fields of poppy flowers in Italy. My family has always celebrated Carnivale, but I have never had the opportunity to travel to Venice to see all of the costumes, masks, and dancing. So, with my family's Carnivale celebration being canceled again this year due to COVID, I decided to make a dress and to celebrate in my own way by making this dress. I also found inspiration from a story my grandfather told me about his greatest memory from his time in Italy. He told me that was the sight of the poppy fields, especially at sunset, was one of the most beautiful sights that he has ever seen. As a result, I decided to use poppies as decorations for the dress and then added a traditional Venetian Carnivale mask and an over-the-top hat. I had so much fun making this dress! I'm happy to have the chance to hard work on something that represents my culture and create something out of the ordinary.
Stuck At Prom®
Brian K.
8 Rolls
29 Hours
Inspiration:
Looking back on the creative process it was really my mistakes which spurred me in direction I took. I first wanted to make a tux which represented my school, I planned on using school colors as well as making the mascot one the back. Shortly after starting I fell out of love with that idea. I took some inventory of the rolls of tape I had and looked at the inspiration tab on the Duck Tape website and it hit me flowers, more specifically roses, should be my theme. The most important thing is to roll with the punches and capitalize on any mistakes you make, not try to cover them up.
Stuck At Prom®
Jill E.
17 Rolls
300 Hours
Inspiration:
Before sewing, I was very involved in visual arts, taking a lot of inspiration from 19th-century painters, who showcased fashions so masterfully. This transferred into my sewing as this dress is inspired by the Victorian era of bustle gowns and my interest in dress history and costume design. I learned how to sew during the pandemic and was quickly fascinated by costume design and fashion history, first venturing into the 1930s and 1940s through the Golden Age of Hollywood before landing in the Victorian period. The concept was also inspired by the Gilded Age theme of the Met Gala. It is interesting to see how clothes were made back then as I implemented some historical sewing techniques into the dress. The dress is entirely hand-sewn (as my machine refused to cooperate), consisting of a bodice, skirt, and overskirt, and, after draping each component, I lined the fabric with duct tape and sewed it together, like a normal garment.
Stuck At Prom®
Destiny F.
16 Rolls
84 Hours
Inspiration:
From the moment I was old enough to look up and see them, all the way to now, I have always loved the stars. When I was little, I liked to count all the stars I could see while out in my backyard late at night. My love for the night sky only grew in elementary school when I learned about the different constellations and how to find them. It was around this time when my love for the Earth itself grew as well, which is why I decided to theme my dress around the night sky and the Earth. The skirt is the focus point of the dress and has all twelve zodiac constellations on it. In gold are the zodiacs, and in silver are several other constellations, including some well known ones: Ursa Major, Orion, Cassiopeia, and Andromeda. However, it also includes many lesser-known ones, like Ara, Corvus, Musca, and Phoenix — which is one of my favourites. The bodice was made to look like a map of the Earth, with the heels of my shoes having that same design. There are also several sun and moon motifs in my outfit as accessories to complete the look aesthetically.
Stuck At Prom®
Kalaya D.
16 Rolls
20 Hours
Inspiration:
Participating in this competition has been such an experience for me. I never imagined I would be wearing a prom dress at fourteen, let alone that dress being completely made of duck tape! The feeling that I can freely create whatever I want with such a unique material is amazing to me. I honestly had a hard time choosing a dress design, because I had so many ideas. I ended up making this dress because of my love for the color blue and ombre pattern. I am really grateful for this incredible opportunity!
Owen
M.
Aiden
M.
Nathan
E.
Jessica
C.
Nada
M.
Charles
D.
Anjali
G.
Rhiannon
E.
George
M.
Kayla
C.
Eleanor
K.
Margaret
J.
Grace
V.
Monica
G.
Brian
K.
Jill
E.
Destiny
F.