Kelvin Abe and Kailie Grinder, recent graduates of Hawaii Baptist Academy, are among the top 10 couples in Duck Tape’s Stuck at Prom scholarship contest.
The 12th-annual contest challenged high school prom-goers across the nation to deck their outfits out in duct tape and submit photos. Judges narrowed the field of 228 entrants based on workmanship, originality, use of colors, accessories and use of duct tape.
The winners will be chosen through online voting at StuckAtProm.com. Voting ends July 11 and is limited to one vote per person per day.
First prize is $5,000 in scholarship money for each teen, second is $3,000 and third is $2,000; the seven remaining couples will receive $500. Their schools will receive corresponding amounts.
Inspired by Lady Gaga, Grinder drew up her gown first. Abe created his pagoda-shouldered tuxedo based on Grinder’s creation. He said he’d never heard of the contest and was skeptical as to their odds of making the finals, but is happy to be in the running.
As for wearing their duct-tape garb, Grinder said, "I couldn’t breathe. It’s not the most comfortable thing to wear, but it was really fun to see people’s reactions."
Abe said: "It was kind of embarrassing but a lot of people thought it was cool."
They were able to change into regular prom wear after an hour, and Grinder said of her silver and black gown, "I think people liked the duct tape one better."
The ensembles comprised many colors of duct tape over a base of muslin, costing about $120 for both outfits. The real cost was time: four to five hours a day over the six weeks leading up to their March 12 junior-senior banquet.
Despite this colorful foray, neither intends to pursue studies in fashion. Grinder will study business and art at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Abe intends to major in civil engineering at the University of Portland.
Nadine Kam, Star-Advertiser
