DOWNTOWN — A Chicago teen combined hundreds of “I Voted” wristbands into a dress honoring local elections.
Mila Livoni Zidel, a senior at Whitney Young High School, is calling the frock the “I VOTED POWER dress.” Made as a final for a fashion class, the short-sleeved dress features layers of the wristbands — which Chicagoans get for voting on Election Day — and the word “power” in thread across the chest.
The design takes inspiration from ’60s go-go looks and from the ’20s flapper styles in tribute to the Civil Rights Movement and the centennial of the 19th Amendment, according to an Election Board news release.
Zidel has been a student judge of election three times, serving most recently during the April 2019 runoff elections. She plans to take up the post again — and vote for the first time — during the March primary.
Zidel will be honored for the dress on Tuesday morning at a Chicago Election Board news conference. Afterward, the dress will be permanently displayed at the board’s office, 69 W. Washington St.
