Duct-Tape Dress Designer Vies for the Prize in a North American Scholarship Competition
17 rolls of duct tape and 143 hours of work could add up to a $10,000 USD scholarship for one creative OCDSB student!
Erika Avellaneda, who just completed grade 9 at Woodroffe High School, is a finalist in Duck Brand’s Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest, which challenges youth to design a dress or tuxedo made entirely of duct tape.
Erika’s striking two-in-one gown features intricate patterns of gold, blue, black and white. She was inspired by ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian colours and designs.
From drawing the initial designs to putting the final touches on the matching accessories (also made of tape!), the project took more than three months to complete. “Using duct tape is hard because, once you put it down, you can’t undo it very easily, so you have to plan a lot,” Erika told the CBC.
Erika’s design beat over a hundred other dresses in the North-America-wide competition, earning her a spot among the top five finalists. The scholarship winner will be selected based on a public online vote.
You can see and vote for Erika’s amazing dress until July 14, 2021. Good luck, Erika!
Photo credit: Michelle Valberg