Kids these days aren’t just making purses out of duct tape, they’re also making three-piece suits and ball gowns.
Josie Orthers and Jessica Ong, both 17 years old and from New York, are two artistically gifted teenagers who created an entire outfit out of tape that can fix anything, and were named finalists in Duck Brand’s 24th annual “Stuck at Prom” scholarship contest, for a chance to win $15,000 for college.
“Fashion is a really big creative outlet for me,” Orsers, who designed the hand-knitted sweater vest and multicolored patchwork tuxedo, told the Post.
“In high school, I was known as the girl in my class who knitted,” the Manhattan student added, saying she wanted to incorporate her hobby into her designs.
The recent high school graduate and avid knitter hand-made her own duct tape yarn to knit the ensemble’s cerulean sweater vest, which she says took many tries to perfect.
It took three months to create the finished product, during which she assembled tuxedos in a variety of patterns — black and white stripes, green and white polka dots, pink plaid and mustard yellow patchwork — and covered her bedroom floor in rolls, scraps and offcuts of duct tape.
The oversized design of the suit represents her love of thrifting and raising children as she wears secondhand clothes.
“I thought patchwork would be a really cool way to show off different colors and different patterns,” said Orthers, who used 25 rolls of duct tape to complete the suit. “I wanted it to be very youthful and inspired by the things I like to make, so I decided on it.”
Ong, from Great Neck, New York, decided to create a dress to enter the contest, which took 98 hours and 36 rolls of duct tape.
“I’ve always been interested in arts and crafts, which led me to seek out unconventional scholarship programs like the Stuck at Prom contest,” Ong told The Washington Post. Ong became interested in fashion when she began reselling clothes on e-commerce site Depop during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m also a first-generation student, and higher education is expensive these days, so I knew I needed to get some kind of scholarship.”
The high school senior paid tribute to her late grandmother by incorporating butterflies into the design of her dress, featuring blue butterfly wings on the bodice and skirt.
“When you look at the elegance and beauty of the colors and butterflies in the dress, I feel like it embodies her grace and spirit.” Haven Heart Flea Market It’s located on the Lower East Side.
Of course, parents are proud of their children when they achieve good grades.
Ong has had to “hold her accountable” at times when she procrastinated or was tempted to give up on the dress, while her parents have been emailing friends and family, urging them to vote for her entry.
“My dad, in particular, is so proud of the suit that he has it hanging as a work of art in the middle of our living room on the wall,” Orsers says. “It’s almost a running joke that he’s more excited to show it off than I am.”
The general public Vote The contest runs until July 10th.
The winners in both the tuxedo and gown categories will be announced around July 17th.
