Baton Rouge, Louisiana
April 6, 2010

The Bluebonnet Regional Branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library hosted a “Blue Tarp/Duct Tape Fashion Show” on March 20th as part of their participation in Baton Rouge’s The Big Read: One Book/One Community which runs from February to May 2010 and features The Great Gatsby. To prepare for the show, teens consulted the library’s catalogs and books of flapper fashions from the Roaring ‘20s. Then the contestants created their own looks, Big Read-style. Participant Tameka Robey explained that blue tarp fashion shows became popular in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when blue tarp and duct tape seemed to be everywhere and remain popular today in better times. (Photos by Mary Stein)

Lindsey Pyburn, Tameka Roby, Sarah Crawford, Leslie Crane, and Mikelia Roby pose behind the scenes at the Blue Tarp/Duct Tape Gatsby Fashion Show.

Daniell Guillory and Lindsey Pyburn working on their creations.

Visit The Big Read calendar of events to find out how else they’re celebrating The Great Gatsby in Baton Rouge.