- Title: Here comes the bride - all dressed in toilet paper
- Date: 20th July 2017
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 20, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF MODELS WALKING DOWN RUNWAY IN TOILET PAPER WEDDING DRESSES MODEL WEARING TOILET PAPER DRESS DESIGNERS TAKING PHOTOS OF MODELS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DESIGNER KARI CURLETTO SAYING: "You know, I got inspired by butterflies because of the whole transformation from toilet paper to wedding gown. I just thought 'I love the idea of transformation so let's do butterflies. Let's make something ethereal'." VARIOUS OF MODELS SHOWING OFF DESIGNS HOSTS ANNOUNCING FIRST PLACE WINNER, KARI CURLETTO (SOUNDBITE) (English) DESIGNER KARI CURLETTO SAYING: "I almost didn't make it. Halfway through I was going to quit and I went outside and I was kind of crying thinking well I can't do it and a butterfly flew into my yard and landed on my hand. And it was a sign. I was like I was supposed to do this and I can't believe, just making it to New York was winning and it’s a dream come true." HOSTS ANNOUNCING SECOND PLACE WINNER SUSAN BRENNAN HOSTS ANNOUNCING THIRD PLACE WINNER MIMOSA HASKA RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT REPRESENTATIVE ANNOUNCING FAN FAVORITE AWARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEAP CHIC WEDDINGS OWNER LAURA GAWNE SAYING: "My favorite is picking the top ten and seeing them on the runway." CHEAP CHIC WEDDINGS OWNER SUSAN BAIN SAYING: "I would say the same because we first see the dresses when we're choosing the top ten. We take about 15-20, so when we first see them, even though we've seen photos, they're always greater in person. And this part, just the part. Seeing the contestants happy and just really excited." MODELS POSING AUDIENCE TAKING PHOTOS OF MODELS
- Embargoed: 3rd August 2017 23:15
- Keywords: wedding wedding dress toilet paper fashion
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Human Interest / Brights / Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0016QIVQ6X
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A toilet paper wedding dress with 1,500 hand-cut butterflies made by a mother of two in her spare time won the $10,000 first prize in a quirky New York fashion competition on Thursday (July 20) and a bride-in-need may have the chance to wear it down the aisle.
Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which exhibits winning entries ever year, is donating about 20 of the top gowns to brides whose plans were shattered by the sudden bankruptcy of wedding dressmaker Alfred Angelo last week.
Kari Curletto said she spent three months on her submission "Quilted Enchantment," with its six-foot cathedral train. It was her first entry, one of 1,517 this year, in the 13-year-old toilet paper dress competition sponsored by Cheap Chic Weddings and Quilted Northern toilet paper.
"I almost didn't make it," Curletto said in an interview after her win. "Halfway through I was going to quit. I was crying and thinking, 'Well, I just can't do it. It's too much,' and a butterfly flew into my yard and landed on my hand."
Curletto, an actress living in Las Vegas, fashioned the dress from toilet paper, glue, glitter and tape, working at night after her children went to bed.
Brides-in-need should contact Ripley's by July 28 for a chance to get a paper gown, spokeswoman Suzanne Smagala-Potts said by phone. The exhibitor has yet to choose which ones will be donated, she added.
Florist Roy Cruz of Chesapeake, Virginia, won in 2015 and 2016. His submission this year, a two-piece floral ball gown featuring snowflake cut-outs was voted fan favorite. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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