Boise teen’s duct tape prom dress could win her a $10,000 scholarship
By the time she was in first grade, Rio Larson already knew she wanted to become a wildlife veterinarian.
More than a decade later, the Boise teen transformed that dream into a duct tape prom dress that earned her a spot as a finalist in Duck Tape’s annual “Stuck at Prom” scholarship contest.
Larson, 16, is one of this year’s five dress finalists in the nationwide competition, which invites high school students to create custom prom attire made entirely from duct tape. The winning designer receives a $10,000 scholarship.
Growing up on a farm sparked Larson’s interest in wildlife, but volunteering with Zoo Boise and the World Center for Birds of Prey solidified her career goals.
“It really set my path on wanting to focus on birds,” she told the Idaho Statesman.
So when it came time to design her dress, Larson chose an endangered scarlet macaw — a bird she said represents the beauty and rarity of the wildlife she hopes to protect.
Fifty-six rolls of tape later, the final look featured a dress, headpiece, arm cuffs, a belt and matching heels inspired by the scarlet macaw’s vibrant feathers. Hundreds of individually cut duct tape feathers line the skirt, and winglike sleeves mimic the spread of the bird’s wings.
Starting the project last August, Larson often worked on the dress after basketball practice and track. She estimates spending about 760 hours creating the dress, though she says that figure doesn’t account for countless hours spent researching adhesives, planning designs and working through construction challenges.
She originally planned to wear the dress to her actual prom, but shortly before the dance, the handmade feathers began falling off.
“The bird started to molt, as we call it,” she joked.
Larson graduated from Gem Prep Online Academy this spring and plans to study biology with an emphasis in ecology, evolution and behavior at Boise State before pursuing veterinary school. If she wins the scholarship, she hopes to use it to help pay for her education.
With voting open through Monday, Larson has one message for Idahoans.
“What if one vote could help save endangered species?” she said.
Public voting remains open through July 13, and community members can cast one vote per day for their favorite duct tape dress and tuxedo on the contest’s website (www.duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom).
