manda Antunes is singlehandedly aiming to rescue unwanted clothes from the forgotten depths of even the smallest Boston closet. Red-and-white polka dots, shoulder pads, a puffed-up '80s pattern—these misguides fashion trends don't scare her off. Instead of looking like a participant on What Not to Wear, she's is the most stylish girl at the party. And now the Boston-based designer/stylist/artist (above), who specializes in re-creating garments from vintage and recycled fabrics, is launching a "refashion" campaign.

She tells me about the custom dress she's wearing in a charming Brazilian accent—"Oh, and I added these pockets"—as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Give me a needle a thread; maybe I can sew a button. Send d.aMa Design something you're tired of, and for $25 (plus shipping) she'll make it new and send it back to you.

I thought of a particular dress that had been sitting in the back of my closet, untouched for more than a year. I swore never to wear it again after a stranger walked up to me, pointed to my midsection, and exclaimed earnestly, "Baby in there?" Um, no!

"I enjoy the interaction with clothes that are jarring and obtuse, that we all find uncomfortable and ugly, because I think that in refashion I discover a little more about the nature of what makes us special," Antunes says.

Clotheshorse that I am, I obviously have an attachment to the contents of my closet, but if it isn't comfortable, or doesn't look really good, it doesn't get a hanger. I'd saved the aformentioned dress because, first, I loved the designer, Alice Roi, and, second, the material was unique, a soft black jersey printed with the cutest silver turtles. I couldn't give the piece up, but I wasn't wearing it either.

Off it went for a nip and tuck. A week later it was back in my closet, but this time on a hanger. Antunes had transformed the dowdy tent into a sweet yet sexy cocktail dress. In addition to attaching a flouncy bow to the neckline, she chopped six-plus inches off the hem and added two tiers of jersey to the skirt, which gave me a flattering waistline instead of an imaginary baby bump. The edge of each ruffle was trimmed with bright color, which completely changed the proportions.

The dress went from unwearable to unlike anything else I own. To think it was sitting in the back of my closet the whole time!

Visit d.aMa Design for more info and a whole lot of inspiration.

(Antunes's designs are also available at Boutique Eskil.)

Off the Rack

The School of Fashion Design hosts Collection 2010 at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter on Thursday (May 6). For information call 617.536.9343 or email sfdboston@aol.com.

40 Winks has opened in the space above Shay's in Harvard Square. Make your way to 56 JFK St. for Hanky Panky, Spanx, Cosa Bella, and other favorite lingerie brands, and be glad you don't have to head to the mall.

Bidding for Good is hosting an entire auction of handbags, benefiting the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. Check it out here