4 Rolls
14 Hours
My inspiration for using the color pink in my dress came from the appreciation and joy I derive from friendships and the concept of friendship itself. The idea that two or more people can find happiness and comfort in each other is truly remarkable. I love that friendships transcend language, countries, religion, and culture, existing universally and bringing people together from all walks of life. The roses on the dress symbolize the way friendships bloom daily. Each blossoming flower represents the formation of new bonds and the wonder they bring to the world. Just as every new friendship adds beauty and richness to our lives, each rose on my dress adds to its overall splendor and meaning.
9 Rolls
38 Hours
My inspiration for this duct tape dress was a medieval times wedding dress, renowned for its elegance and unique design elements. The most beautiful dresses of that era featured long, flowing sleeves and metal belts, which I incorporated into my creation. I used silver foil duct tape for the detailing, carefully placing it around the edges of each piece to emphasize the dress delicately. The roses add to the wedding presence of the dress, making it suitable for prom as well. Not shown in the picture is my crown, which accessorized the dress perfectly. As I love learning about historical fashions, I was able to transfer the elegance of their dresses and offer a unique twist on the modern prom ball gown.
26 Rolls
38 Hours
Drawing inspiration from Alexander McQueen, my dress embodies the timeless struggle between preserving beauty and embracing the present moment. The wings symbolize the freedom to progress through time, while cracks running throughout the dress represent fractures in time itself. Using the reflective tape to express mirror fragments within the design to invite introspection, reflecting the multifaceted nature of self-discovery. In keeping with this theme, I opted for a color palette of white, black, and reflective silver duct tape, evoking a sense of modernity and sophistication reminiscent of the Art Deco era. I am also interested in fashion and multimedia art and used this to incorporate my belief that beauty is an evolution, a culmination of moments that shape our unique identities. My dress is a story encouraging the contemplative passage of time and the beauty found within the unique evolution we each experience.
25 Rolls
150 Hours
Throughout high school, making clothes has been a really big hobby for me, with knitting, sewing, and thrifting being the aspects I enjoy the most. I wanted this to be an homage to crafting and clothesmaking that celebrates all three interests with a suit that was made entirely using duck tape, kitchen scissors, and some sewing and knitting needles. The blazer, trousers, and briefcase are all oversized and made of patchwork, meant to seem thrifty and secondhand. They all have big black stitches on them, meant to represent my interest in sewing. Underneath all of this, I am wearing a light blue hand knitted vest, made by ripping and folding several rolls of duck tape into yarn and knitting them.
23 Rolls
190 Hours
The inspiration behind my dress was really my school's prom theme, 'To the Moon and Back'. I wanted a challenge to make my own dress with a goal to fit the theme as well as to put my own spin on it. The first thing that came to my mind was stars, as that is often what we first find before looking at the moon. I used white, gold, and silver accents to represent the stars and its shimmer and if you look closely (this is my favorite part), each cluster of small white squares represents a different constellation in the night sky. all the designs show different variations of shooting and solitary stars each in various designs. The feather-like pieces found near the bust and the trim of the dress represent the tails of shooting stars, meant to represent its fiery character and millions of stars within our galaxy. One thing I knew I wanted in this dress was an off-shoulder top and a slit in the dress because you just have to show off your heels..always! But the biggest challenge was the hundreds of black scales I put on top of the initial black dress to give more of a smoother look on the base. Overall, this was such a fun dress to make and I love how it came out!
12 Rolls
28 Hours
My inspiration for this outfit was from the societal norms that are forced upon woman. Woman are told to be gentle like flowers, beautiful and delicate in all parts of their life. When people think of prom, they think of woman dolling themselves up to look like more beautiful versions of themselves, and so instead of trying to combat this idea, I attacked the narrative head on. If society wants woman to act, think, and be a certain way, then why not show them what they think they want; to prove, that beauty such not be the ultimate goal girls are told to strive for within the context of success in their lives.
21 Rolls
92 Hours
I decided to base the suit on my love of space. I grew up around Huntsville Alabama where the U.S Space & Rocket Center was located. And after constantly visiting the place I picked up an interest in the stars. The theme needed the perfect design to capture the grandiose beauty of “Space,” so I thought of a ringmaster-style tuxedo. The Helix nebula that spans the back of the suit took quite a bit of time and was one of the larger "ideas" of the suit. Getting the transitions was very difficult but I think I pulled it off all right on my 3rd try. The constellations were cut using a template and then applied randomly all over, while the gold trimming took some patience to get on just right. The accessories include a hat, cane, pocket watch, shoes, rings, bow tie, and lots of love. As you all can probably tell from the bags under my eyes this project stressed me out a little bit, but I'm thankful I got an excuse to branch off from a monotonous school year and make a duct tape suit. I had loads of fun trying to figure everything out and hope all the other competitors did too. Thank you for reading all this garble and I hope you have a great day.
12 Rolls
35 Hours
I was inspired by a white peacock that would frequently roam at a wildlife park near my home town. The peacocks feather's would always attract stares from onlookers. In my dress I wanted to replicate the texture of the birds feathers and the way the peacock feathers would reflect sun light. I made about one hundred white feathers in order to mimic the peacock’s brilliance.
15 Rolls
10 Hours
What inspired be was the current popularity of corsets and off the shoulder garments. I made it by making large sheets of duct tape fabric and throwing my original plan out the window.
31 Rolls
65 Hours
I'd seen so many absolutely gorgeous and amazing entries, but I wanted to try something different than what I'd been seeing. So I ventured pretty far out of my comfort zone and followed through with one of my dreams of making a viking war queen-inspired dress.
12 Rolls
48 Hours
I usually take a lot of inspiration from flowers, and I wanted to combine them with a simple silhouette that you would see in a modern gown. This dress reminds me of how nature is able to keep thriving despite hardship, similar to my experience with making this dress.
12 Rolls
24 Hours
The inspiration for this dress actually came from a drawing I did last year for fun, that I happened to still have amongst my other art work. The colors and pattern however were inspired by 2 things, my tattoo of three different state flowers (Florida, New York and, Georgia) as well as - the colors that I associate those states with in my head. This was my very first time ever creating a piece of clothing and it was more difficult than imagined, especially considering my prior experience using duck tape was when I was 13 making wallets out of the amazing patterns.
10 Rolls
90 Hours
My inspirations were roses and royalty. The Prince of Roses. A prince alone in the woods crying in sorrow for the weight that he holds. While his pains may look pretty in the eyes of others, only he can see the truth. As he remained in the woods, he became engulfed by the roses. Cementing the idea of a mirrored existence is painful yet beautiful.
13 Rolls
32 Hours
I was going for a luxurious look while keeping a modern feeling—sort of a pimp-looking aesthetic. The cane and the gloves are meant to bring out a modern look, while the cape shows the extravagant side of the piece.
7 Rolls
15 Hours
Prom is an event that is looked forward to since one's youth. Once at prom, the feeling that at midnight the event that dismissed a moment filled with joy and memories will end is ultimately difficult to comprehend. Since the feeling of having the last moment as a teen becomes known, it is inevitable not to get the best experiences. Being with friends afterward, attending parties, and eating a late-night snack are the memories that I intend to cherish. The dress is designed in a way that makes prom everlasting. Having the detachable skirt allows for the person to have a quick change into an outfit that is more appropriate for the plans afterward. Permitting it to be both glamorous and convenient. When the night is still young, one has to enjoy it to the fullest. Enjoying the last event of high school is very bittersweet, but allowing yourself to spend the night in something that makes you feel youthful, comfortable, and confident is what makes prom night so special and one of a kind.
14 Rolls
103 Hours
I have always loved nature, and I have been surrounded by it my whole life thanks to growing up in Arkansas: “The Natural State.” Thus, the environment has become a vital part of who I am. It has taught me patience, the beauty of appreciating the moment, and gratitude for the world I live in. In the creation of my dress, I wished to focus not only on the beauty nature creates, but also on the patience and flexibility it has taught me. However, with all the issues surrounding climate change, habitat loss, and mass extinction for numerous species, I felt I should bring up this issue while discussing my dress. While it may not seem like there is much we can do to mitigate this crisis, progress can be made through small actions of reducing and reusing everyday items. For example, I used old bedsheets to enhance the flexibility of my dress and repurpose what would have been thrown out into a dress that I can wear to my Senior Prom. By taking small actions, such as buying second-hand clothing and reducing food waste in our homes, together we can make large differences towards a better future and a cleaner world. To conclude, I would like to thank Duck Tape for this wonderful opportunity to experiment with fashion in a new and marvelous way. I enjoy frilly dresses like the one I have made, and if not for this opportunity, I may never have created my dream dress or shared this message with any of you.
25 Rolls
100 Hours
I had a clear vision for my prom dress—a ball gown style with floral elements. I sketched out the design and found the perfect colors of duct tape at Walmart. The top was inspired by corset-style dresses, with a white tape bodice and gold faux boning. The skirt was divided into sections and layered with tape, using printer paper and fabric underneath to prevent stickiness. The details included a gold border, green leaf outlines filled with individual cut leaves, and small vines draping off the shoulders and bag. For contrast, I used navy blue tape for the flower accents. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of using such a versatile material to create a personalized and creative piece.
20 Rolls
120 Hours
This dress is a subtle recreation of my prom dress this year. I went for an ocean mermaid dress and kept most of it clear to simulate the water! I found the pattern for the scales and immediately fell in love with the idea. My mom considered taking photos by the water to show people one of my passions; swimming!! I grew up in Florida learning to freedive from my parents and this gave people a glimpse of that. The location of the photos is the park I completed my community service in, yearly we clean the beach and I'm constantly going out of my way to clean any debris I see while diving. Originally the idea was to take the photos underwater but the dress came out so well we didn't want to ruin it with salt. The iridescent tape allowed us to create cool effects with the lighting. The hardest part I would say was the bodice, I've never made any clothes in my life, and figuring out the sizing was a headache. I'll always be a mermaid at heart so the hard work was worth the result!