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A recent graduate of a Los Angeles area high school will have some additional funds for college after she was crowned the grand prize winner in a nationwide duct tape prom dress competition.
After several days of voting and widespread acclaim, Karla Torres was named the big winner in Duck Brand’s annual Stuck at Prom contest, which challenges high school students to transform the utility do-it-all tape into lavish and unbelievable fashion pieces as either a prom dress or tuxedo.
Torres dedicated 120 hours of her life and used 14 rolls-worth of duct tape to construct a one-of-a-kind prom dress as part of the nationwide contest.
She beat out more than 200 entries in the annual competition, making it to the top 10, before being named the winner in the prom dress category. Her crowning came with a grand prize of $10,000 worth of scholarship money.
Her mind-blowing dress went viral on social media, leading to her garnering the most online votes in the competition, Duck Brand said.
Her pink pastel gown was highlighted with pops of gold and was inspired by 18th-century French art. It also featured a custom duct tape handheld fan and matching clutch.
A trip to the Getty Museum inspired her design, Torres said, adding she was particularly captivated by the “gold and extravagant paintings” the museum had on display.
“It was a time period of luxurious gowns full of lace, floral prints, ribbons, and ruffles. So I wanted to incorporate some of these elements into my dress,” Torres said.
Photos of her gown drew statewide attention, as she was the only California student to advance to the competition’s final stage. Her hometown and the entire state got behind her big time, playing a major role in her victory.
Torres is a recent graduate of Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Los Angeles. She plans to attend college and major in business marketing, with hopes of eventually pursuing a career in the fashion industry.
Her $10,000 scholarship will go a long way as she chases her dreams — we already know she has what it takes to wow the world with her fashion concepts.
In the tuxedo category, the grand prize winner was Ian Hernandez Rojas of Taylorsville, Utah. He channeled his Salvadoran roots for a Mayan and Aztec inspired suit with a traditional headdress.
“With so many talented teens entering this year’s contest, the competition was high, but Karla and Ian really exemplified how an ordinary material, like Duck Tape, can be transformed into artful attire,” said Ashley Luke, senior product manager of Duck Brand’s parent company.
Color, craftsmanship, originality and accessories were all considered as part of the judging criteria.
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