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Pair's prom look well put together

By CLOE CABRERA

ccabrera@tampatrib.com

Published: July 4, 2009

Amie Gerodimos and Tresson Canley's prom memories are sure to stick with them for a long time.

The pair went to their senior prom in matching outfits made completely of duct tape.

Now the friends are waiting to find out if they both won $3,000 college scholarships in the "Stuck at Prom" contest sponsored by the Duck brand duct tape company. The two are among 10 finalists in the contest, which also will give $3,000 to the school that hosted the winners' prom.

"It was a lot of fun," said Gerodimos, 16, a senior at St. Petersburg Collegiate High School. "A lot of moms wanted to touch the dress because they couldn't believe it was made from duct tape. They just thought it was the greatest thing."

The duo designed and created Gerodimos' gown using about 25 rolls of duct tape. The intricate lilac and white halter-top dress features more than 300 wire-bent flowers, glass beads, pearls and feathers, with a ruched skirt and corseted back.

Fifteen additional rolls of duct tape went into to making Canley's black tuxedo and the matching lilac tuxedo bib they adorned with dozens of bent wire flowers.

The outfits took about 100 hours and $140 to create. "But when you put into account the blood, sweat and tears, the cost is much more," Gerodimos said laughing.

The friends wore their duct tape duds to their April 4 prom at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, but alas, they didn't get to dance in their outfits.

"We lasted about 40 minutes" in them, said Canley, 17, also a student at St. Petersburg Collegiate. "Everyone wanted us to keep them on, but they were too hot and sticky. Duct tape doesn't breathe."

And despite their design talents, neither has ambitions of entering the fashion world. Gerodimos wants to be a biochemist. Canley would like to become a magazine editor.

Winners will be announced Thursday.

Reporter Cloe Cabrera can be reached at (813) 259-7656.

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