Every student has been dreaming of their prom and impatiently waiting for this day to arrive. But not everyone gets the chance to attend it, and this is so true for the class of 2020.
Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that came with it, proms and graduations have had to be canceled this year and students had to attend virtual ones, which- in all honesty- cannot be compared to the real deal.
Especially girls had been making plans for their prom dress, what it would look like and how they would look in it, and some were even planning on making their own dress that would steal the show once they entered the ballroom.
One of those girls who had decided to design their own dress was Peyton Manker, an 18-year-old senior student from Illinois. In fact, Peyton wanted to design a dress inspired by Leonardo DaVinci, her favorite artist of all time. With this dress, she was planning on entering a contest organized by Duck Brand, an American duct tape, package supplies, and home products company.
The whole idea of this contest was that students would make their own prom dresses or tuxedos- for boys- using duct tape and possibly win a scholarship. So, Peyton thought, why not?
But then the pandemic happened, and a change of plans seemed inevitable.
While the contest is still on, the teenager decided to go for a different theme for her dress, one that would be more relevant to the current global situation. And that’s how the idea of a coronavirus-themed prom dress was born.
Artsy as she is, Manker decided to use any resources she had on hand to make a dress that would stand out and, hopefully, win the $10,000 worth scholarship.
As you can see in the pictures that were posted on Facebook by Manker’s mom, the predominantly blue and gold gown features images of the virus itself and other concepts that have become parts of our lives during these dark times.
Among these designs, a boy wearing a mask not knowing what to think or do about the current situation. This should represent the confusion that we have all experienced during this time. Also, people trying to run away from a giant coronavirus figure represents the attempts humanity has been making to escape it.
Next comes the zoom graduation ceremony. Virtual graduations are indeed a thing and students have had to get used to this new normal.
Then, she designed a woman sneezing into her elbow, while spreading her germs and a man close to her is wondering if this will affect him in any way. Isn’t this how we all feel on a daily basis?
Apart from the designs on the gown itself, Manker also designed unique accessories to go with it. A coronavirus purse, necklaces, earrings, and headpieces were also created to accompany the special dress.
The whole venture took the girl 400 hours or 16.6 days of work, and 41 rolls of duct tape! It is estimated that the dress costs (duct tape-wise) between $150 and $245, depending on where you buy.
No matter whether Manker wins the contest or not- which is highly probable- her dress has already gone viral on the internet anyway, and her message has been delivered to more than 250,000 people who shared it online.
The dress even has its own fan page on Facebook and you can still vote for it as community voting is June 29th – July 10th.
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