Wanting to push the limits of prom fashion, Monica Walsh created a vibrant, colorful, and fun dress from 13 rolls of duct tape that won her a $15,000 scholarship.
“It was a really long process, probably longer than I thought it was going to be,” the teen from Jordan, Ontario, told the Epoch Times.
“I slept on it, and then I woke up, and I was like, ‘I think I’m going to make a duct tape dress,’” she said.
Garnering inspiration from Brazilian artist Romero Brito—known for his incorporation of bright colors and fun patterns—she ordered duct tape in many different colors.
Creating the intricate outfit involved designing patterns on pieces of fabric, attaching duct tape to the fabric, and cutting them out.
“The bodice was actually my favorite part to make because, in my opinion, it was pretty easy,” Ms. Walsh said, explaining that she chose a sweetheart neckline for her outfit.
After outlining all the skirt pieces, she collected the patterned pieces and assembled them with hidden clasps and more duct tape.
Ms. Walsh enlisted her mom’s help for the headpiece and said this was the first time she had made an entire dress out of duct tape all by herself.
The 18-year-old, who spent 126 hours on the dress, found the process super fun but struggled with time management. To submit her entry on time, she worked for 10 hours each day during the weekend.
Upon seeing the finished product, the teen said she was thrilled.
“It was exactly how I imagined it in my head, and I was completely amazed,“ Ms. Walsh said. ”I didn’t think I could make something this pretty out of duct tape.”
Needless to say, her hard work paid off, and she ended up winning the grand prize of $15,000 for the dress category.
“I was so excited when I got the phone call saying that I won,“ she said. ”My mouth dropped immediately.”
Her friends and family shared her excitement, and her grandmother called her right away to congratulate her on her win.
For those considering participating in the contest, Ms. Walsh advises them to take the leap and enter it like she did. Even if you don’t win, she believes the joy of creating your own outfit is worth it.
“I felt so proud of myself after creating the dress,” she said. “I was just amazed.”
