LOS ANGELES, Calif. (KTLA) – 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 competition to find the best duct-tape prom dress.
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 tape into impressive fashion pieces as either a prom dress or tuxedo. Color, craftsmanship, originality and accessories were all considered as part of the judging criteria.
Torres dedicated 120 hours of her life and used 14 rolls of duct tape to construct her one-of-a-kind prom dress for the annual competition.
Torres had already beat out hundreds of other entrants to when she was chosen as one of the 10 finalists earlier this month. Now, after being crowned the winner of the prom dress category, Torres earned a grand prize of $10,000 in scholarship money.
Her mind-blowing dress also went viral on social media, helping her earn the most online votes in the competition, Duck Brand said.
Her pink pastel gown, highlighted with pops of gold, 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 in Los Angeles inspired her design, said Torres, who added that 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.
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.
