At 17, Kara Fenoglietto is already a fashion designer.

She makes dresses and jackets for family and friends, and even sells handmade purses.

Now, the Mars Area High School junior has a new accomplishment to add to her list: store window display designer. As a reward for her skills, Kara won a $10,000 scholarship from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in the school's 2008 Fashion Your Future competition.

The contest pitted four finalists against one another designing store display windows at The Mall at Robinson. Each of the competitors was given a prom dress to feature in the display, three weeks to prepare, and a $300 budget.

On March 29, all were given four hours to bring their fashion display vision to life.

Kara's dress had a retro, 1960s look, she said, so she decided to match that look by creating a mirrored tile floor that would reflect both the dress and the person looking at it.

She bought record albums, painted them silver, and hung them from the ceiling.

She added a silver, swirled backdrop, lava lamps and accessories, and wound up with an eye-catching presentation that exceeded even her expectations.

"I was thrilled with it," said the Adams teenager.

This was her first venture into display window design. Kara has been interested in fashion design for several years, taking sewing classes and figure painting classes to round out her skills.

Her goal has been to either attend school for fashion merchandising or visual communications, but now she has a new option to consider: display design.

"I really enjoyed that," Kara said. "I'm torn about which path to follow."

She has a brother in the fashion capital of the nation, New York City, and would love to go to school there. But now, the Art Institute Scholarship is tempting, as well.

"I'm keeping my options open," she said.