Could duct tape dress lead to $10,000 scholarship? Vote on the outcome

Robbinsdale teen was inspired by "The Starry Night."

July 4, 2023 at 3:00PM
Teen fashionista Ava Motl stands for a portrait wearing her duct tape prom dress inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Robbinsdale, Minn. (Aaron Lavinsky, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

What can you do with 23 rolls of duct tape and 227 hours?

A 17-year-old from Robbinsdale, Ava Motl, managed to create a prom dress. That dress has made her one of 10 finalists in a national contest to win a $10,000 scholarship.

Since age 8, Motl has been fascinated by fashion design, especially dresses. Inspired by Van Gogh's post-impressionism masterpiece "The Starry Night," Motl crafted a yellow and blue dress with rich, oil-painting-like textures by layering — and then painting — strips of tapes.

She also used duct tape to transform a pair of sloping heels and made a handbag-style accessory to add the finishing touch to her ensemble.

In her submission for the Stuck for Prom Scholarship Contest, Motl said painting has always been a way to calm the anxiety in her life "and hopefully, I inspired some of you to use art as an outlet for some of your personal struggles or emotions," she wrote.

You can check out Motl's design as well as those of the other contestants and vote for your favorite. Vote early and often (you can cast one vote per day): The deadline for voting is July 12. Winners will be announced around July 19.

Ava Motl assembles a dress in her kitchen that she’s producing for her portfolio Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Robbinsdale, Minn. (Aaron Lavinsky, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Grace Xue

Features Reporter

Grace Xue is a Star Tribune summer intern from Macalester College in St. Paul.

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