Voting ends tonight for Robbinsdale teen duct tape dress contest

Robbinsdale teen among finalists for duct tape dress contest

Robbinsdale teen among finalists for duct tape dress contest

A Robbinsdale teen could win a $10,000 scholarship for a prom dress she made entirely out of duct tape. It’s part of a national contest called “Stuck at Prom” and Wednesday is the last day to vote

Inspired by Vincent Van Gohs’ painting “The Starry Night,” Ava Motl’s prom dress is crafted in different schemes of yellow and blue. Heels and a handbag accessory complete her gown. It took 21 rolls of duct tape and 226 hours of labor to create the masterpiece.

“I love the idea of the crimpled fabric and trying to get it textured,” Motl said. “Assembling it was the most difficult. The skirt is the heaviest part; it sort of pulls it down.”

The grind was partly for the fun but mostly for the $10,000 “Stuck at Prom Scholarship” she could win if she comes out on top.

“There were almost 200 contestants and I would say most of them were dresses,” said Motl. 

Thanks to all the online votes, Motl is one of the five finalists in the national contest. There are two categories, one for tuxedos and the other for dresses.

“I was in my kitchen and looked at my email and was like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m a finalist.’ That was a special experience for me,” Motl said. 

The senior high school student hopes to go to a fashion school in New York, so the money will come in handy.

“I’ve always loved clothes. I think it’s a great way to express yourself,” she said.

Win or lose, it’s what the teen takes out of this experience that she says will leave a lasting footprint. 

“I’ve learned that trying something new means a lot of trial and error. I think that’s something important in the fashion industry,” said Motl. 

The deadline to vote for Motl’s design is Tuesday at midnight. Winners are expected to be announced within a week.