Laker senior creates duct tape prom dress
A close-up of the bodice of the dress, and the accessories Viers created using Duck Tape.
When Laker senior Jessica Viers set out to create her own prom dress, she wasn’t thinking about Paris chiffon, duchess satin or silk organza. She stuck with something a bit more unorthodox – duct tape.
Viers entered the Stuck at Prom dress design contest sponsored by Duck Brand duct tape. The scholarship contest challenges high school students to create their own prom dresses or tuxedos made entirely from Duck Tape. The top finalists in the dress and tuxedo categories each receive a $10,000 scholarship. Eight runners-up each receive a $500 scholarship.
While Viers won’t be able to wear her dress to prom, as the 2020 Laker prom has been canceled, she is very pleased with what she created. She considers it a work of art – it took 111 hours of dedicated work to complete, not to mention 11 rolls of Duck Tape.
“When I completed the dress, I was most proud of the bodice,” she said. “It took me many hours of patterning, sewing, cutting triangular tape shapes, and making symmetrical patterns entwined with gems.”
Viers took inspiration for her dress from the annual Met Gala, the extravagant fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute that’s known for big fashion statements made by celebrities and designers.
“Each year, I love watching the Met Gala red carpet,” Viers said. “Unfortunately, it was postponed due to COVID-19. This event’s postponement caused me to think more about the gala. I became curious about the theme, ‘About Time: Fashion and Duration.’ The night was based on how the same fashion trends have been reused in different periods of history. I thought it would be fun to make a sketch of what I would have worn if I could have attended.”
Her mother, Jen, informed her of the Duck Tape Stuck at Prom contest, and Viers knew she had to bring her dress sketch to life.
“It’s super corny, but I decided to enter the competition based on how ironic it was that I had already sketched a dress before even knowing about the scholarship opportunity,” she said.
Viers had never made clothing before, so she had some quick learning to do.
“The trickiest part of this project was learning how regular prom dresses are constructed,” she said. “Imagine applying the principle of dressmaking to sticky, slick plastic material and transforming it into a wearable piece of clothing.”
To get the correct measurements, Viers used a sewing measuring tape and acquired an adjustable dress form mannequin.
“I was then able to set the mannequin to my specific measurements,” she said. “Next came the research on how dresses are traditionally made. I learned how to properly drape a mannequin, allowing me to create my desired dress pattern.”
In creating her dress, Viers wanted to incorporate many different mediums of texture and intricate shapes.
“Duct tape allowed me to do this in a way that regular fabric would not,” she said. “The addition of mirror and prism tape, alongside small gemstones, allowed me to create the appearance of sparkling embroidery. The dress harmonizes geometric patterns and sharp edges with soft femininity. I wanted to create something that upheld elegance while not sacrificing bold and eye-catching aesthetics throughout.”
Viers is most proud of the dress’s bodice.
“It took me many hours of patterning, sewing, cutting triangular tape shapes, and making symmetrical patterns entwined with gems,” she said. “The unique method I chose for (this) portion of the dress is called tucking. This allowed it to fit me snuggly and added an artistic texture.”
Viers didn’t stop with the dress. She used her creativity to create several accessories using Duck Tape to complement the dress.
“I created a pair of earrings, a clutch, a rose corsage, and an intercut pair of heels covered in duct tape,” she said.
Creating the dress and accessories involved some sticky situations, but Viers is glad she did it.
“Although the process was a huge undertaking, the end result was well worth it, and I am excited to share it,” she said.
Each year, the winners in the dress and tuxedo/suit categories are chosen by public vote via the Stuck at Prom website. Prior to this, judges review all of the entries and select 10 for the voting process – five dresses and five tuxedos/suits. Unfortunately, Viers’ dress was not selected as one of the 10.
“Even though I haven’t been picked to be in the top five, I am still very thankful to have been part of the scholarship contest,” she said. “Best wishes to the finalists!”
