HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV/Gray News) – A Virginia teenager crafted a prom dress and handbag entirely out of colorful Duck brand duct tape in hopes of winning a $15,000 college scholarship.
Celeste Sotelo, a high schooler from Waynesboro, wanted a way to celebrate her Mexican American roots and her dad’s connection to Jalisco, Mexico. She is an avid fan of fashion design and considering it as a career, WHSV reports.
So, Sotelo’s dad brought up the Stuck at Prom scholarship contest created by the Duck brand. The contest challenges high school students to create and wear prom outfits made entirely from duct tape. He thought it would be a good opportunity for Sotelo to showcase her culture and talent on a national stage and possibly win some scholarship money in the process.
The two winners of the contest – one who created a dress and the other a suit – receive a college scholarship worth $15,000.
Sotelo was initially unsure about the contest but decided to enter after a little encouragement from her parents.
“I thought about it and thought it would be pretty hard, but I was willing to take the risk and see what I could do,” Sotelo said. “I just got with my mom, and she really helped me try to make everything happen.”
Sotelo made her dress in 15 hours using 10 rolls of red and white Duck Tape, according to the contest website. She also made a handbag that matches the outfit.
The high schooler took inspiration from her love for fashion and culture and designed her dress with influences from various aspects of Jalisco style. The buttons on the side of the dress are representative of the charro and mariachi styles, while the ruffles on the bottom of the dress are taken from Folklorico dance dresses.
Additionally, the red roses show Sotelo’s passion for design and personal flair, while the white roses reflect the purity of the Virgin Mary, who is an important figure in the Catholic faith. She took pictures in the dress at a Catholic church to tie into her religious background, which she says is especially important.
“Both of my parents are from Mexico, so I really wanted to incorporate my culture,” Sotelo said. “I also didn’t want to make it look like a costume, so I made sure this was a dress someone would actually wear to prom. I feel like it’s very classy while still reflecting my Mexican culture.”
Sotelo was selected as a Top 10 finalist in the contest.
Public voting, which recently ended, will ultimately decide the winners of the contest. They will be announced on or around Wednesday.
Copyright 2024 WHSV via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
