Mary Ann Ebiefung, left, and Mollie Ramos
Mollie Ramos and Mary Ann Ebiefung, are the first Chattanooga area teens to advance in Duck brand’s annual Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest. Their dresses are made completely out of duct tape and on June 14 it was announced that the girls were selected as top 10 finalists, advancing into the voting stage of the competition. They need as many votes as they can get by July 5, and are counting on local support in order to win.
The two girls are competing with young people throughout the U.S. and Canada for the top prize of $20,000. To compete, the girls were required to create two one-of-a-kind prom ensembles completely out of duct tape. Mary Ann (18) actually entered the competition last year as a single entry, but did not reach the voting stage. She says the disappointment only encouraged her to try again. To save money she actually recycled about 50 percent of last year’s dress and used it for both of this year’s entries.
According to the girls, it took them 215 hours to complete their prom ensembles. They were loosely inspired by the Victorian era, and used 25 rolls of gold and royal blue duct tape. All accessories including the earrings, necklaces, headbands and elaborately decorated hand fan were made with duct tape. Mary Ann's dress includes a detachable fringe skirt that can be removed to reveal a shorter version of her dress. Both girls have been working on this project since last summer and became best friends as a result.
Since 2001, Duck brand has already awarded nearly half a million dollars in scholarships to young people compete in their annual competition. “The ingenuity and creativity these students put into making one-of-a-kind formal wear is beyond extraordinary, said Ashley Luke, category manager at ShurTech Brands, LLC, the company that markets the Duck brand. "Each year we’re left speechless with the results."
Stuck at Prom’s panel of judges has already selected the top 10 couples entries based on workmanship, originality, use of colors, accessories and use of Duct Tape in the outfits. The second round of the competition requires the entries to gather as many votes as they can. The winner will be selected by 60 percent of the judge’s votes and 40 percent of the community votes. To support these Chattanooga teens, visit stuckatprom.com and vote using an email address.