The Society of St. Vincent de Paul warehouse located in Oakland is loaded with clothing. Bales and bales of donated clothing each weighing 700 pounds and some of which cannot be sold. To milliner Sarah Padgham and artist Rachel Hospodar these castoffs are opportunities. Sarah is the St. Vincent de Paul 2011 Fashion Artist-in-Residence and Rachel is the Featured Artist and for the past three months they have been creating new hats and clothes out of clothing from the castoff pile.

Last Saturday Sarah and Rachel exhibited their creations for all to see in the St. Vincent de Paul’s Oakland warehouse. What an array of amazing recreations.

• Someone’s wedding dress became a hip 60s looking chapeau.
• Once a leather jacket now an aviator cap.
• A blue and white polka dot silk blouse is transformed into a fascinator.
• Velvet jackets are given new life with felted wool.
• Tuxedos with embellishments are stylish again.

Sarah launched her hat business in 2006 after taking millinery classes at the College of Alameda. Inspired by architectural shapes, nature and vintage hats, Sarah uses traditional and non-traditional methods in her hat making. She hand blocks and sews each hat she makes.

Rachel says she’s been doing strange things to textiles since she was a child. Accomplished in various felting techniques, Rachel incorporates felting into her reclaimed men’s clothing line, Medium Reality.

Through their Artist-in-Residence Program (AIR) the St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda offers local artists the opportunity to create art from discarded materials. In 2009 the Fashion AIR was added.  

For more information on AIR go to: http://www.svdp-alameda.org/air.php.

Sarah's AIR hats are for sale. Take a peek at the slide show and if you see something you like, contact Melanie Anguay at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for more information: manguay@svdp-alameda.org.