Showing they care with vintage flair

Dana Roquemore scrounges thrift store shelves and estate sale collections for trends dating prior to 1990.

Beyond her affinity for vintage styles, as co-founder of Other Peoples Property, shopping for used goods is in her job description.

Roquemore, a Regent University psychology graduate, and Crystal Bell, OPP's other founder and a UCF alumna, started the venture last February as a company that recycles unused or unwanted items to reduce the consumption of new products.

"One of the purposes of OPP is to reduce your fashion foot print," Roquemore said. "We repurpose things that are already out there."

Roquemore collects women's and men's clothing, bags, shoes and jewelry older than 20 years.

Items that are rich in patterns or fabric, have classic style and are in good condition are the details she looks for when buying.

"I buy things based on design, not really the label," Roquemore said. "The quality of stuff really varies from place to place."

Bell studied fine arts at UCF. She moved to China for a job opportunity months after co-founding the business but remains on board as a silent partner.

Whitney Brammer, a junior exceptional education major, models the apparel and ships items for Roquemore. In October, she developed a collection for Other Peoples Property to benefit a Haitian orphanage and school in Messailler, 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince.

Lespwa, which means hope in Creole, is the name of the orphanage. All of the proceeds from the Haiti collection have gone directly to Lespwa's operations, supplies, food and other necessities.

There are about 50 pieces in the Haiti collection. Brammer helped raise about $1,500 through Other Peoples Property sales and donations.

In December, she visited friends volunteering at the Lespwa orphanage and school.
"I haven't made any money off of anything I've sold, so from the beginning, I've sold for Haiti," Brammer said.

The recent earthquake spared Lespwa but caused wreckage in other parts of the village, so contributions are now spent on reconstructing the surrounding area.

Other Peoples Property donates 15 percent of everything else sold in the regular 500-piece collection to an organization called "charity: water."

The nonprofit organization focuses on building wells and water filtration systems in underdeveloped countries.

OPP donates an average of $150 to the group each month.

Merchandise is sold online through Etsy.com and on Monday nights at the Audubon Park Community Market. Etsy is a Web site catered to shoppers searching for vintage items, craft supplies and handmade goods.

Roquemore also sells clothing and vintage pieces at the Rollins College market.

The Etsy site has about 75 items posted.

However, Roquemore takes appointments for customers to browse the entire inventory at her Orlando home. The recession has diverted plans to open an Other Peoples Property store, according to Roquemore.

Natalie Djurovski is a Baldwin Park resident who goes to Roquemore's home to shop the collection.

"I believe in what she's doing and trying to accomplish," Djurovski said. "I want to … be a part of [Other Peoples Property] somehow, and I feel this is my way of helping."

The collections feature items from Savannah, Ga., to London.

Purchases have been ordered from as far away as countries across the Pacific.

"She has really trendy stuff that she finds and just has a knack for fashion and accessorizing," Djurovski said.

Other Peoples Property customers are generally in the 18 to 34 demographic, according to Roquemore, and average prices range from $10 to $30, but coats can reach $100.

"We try to keep it reasonable and below prices of moderate retail markets," Roquemore said.

Roquemore, Brammer and associates repair, take in the sleeves, shorten the length, or adjust the neckline to nearly 25 percent of the items to achieve a modern look.

"A lot of vintage is really cool and has a lot of potential, but it's either too large or too long and matronly," Brammer said.

The vintage store also holds "swap and shop" days, when customers can bring unwanted clothes or donations and can choose from the collection.

Items that can't be salvaged or are too modern for Other Peoples Property are given to homeless ministries and Dress For Success, Roquemore said.

Roquemore recently began collecting men's wear to expand Other Peoples Property.

"We had a lot of guys asking if we had any men's clothes," Roquemore said. "It's harder to find men's clothing that translates to today's styles."

The men's collection has a few pieces, but the selection is growing.