ArtiGras Podcast · ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival

More Than Fashion: Amanda Perna on Creativity, Connection, and Resilience

August 7, 2025·1 hr 20 min·5 clips

Amanda Perna reveals how a devastating fire almost ended her fashion business—until her community showed up.

Color sets the tone right away. Sarah tells Amanda she dressed with extra pink and flair because Amanda brings that generous, more-is-more energy into a room. Amanda sends it right back. She remembers meeting Sarah at Arts Warehouse and thinking, paint overalls or not, Sarah should model. That mutual delight gives the interview its texture. Compliments are not filler here; they are how these two notice each other. Amanda talks about feeling things all the way through. When she says she tells her daughter to let the tears come, the conversation loosens into something softer: less composure, more permission. Then it gets hands-on. Amanda talks about filming with Delray Morning Live at Restore, learning more about the mission, and wondering where she might fit. She already loved the place. Tables and found pieces from Restore had already made their way into her studio, fixed up and given another shot. The match makes sense. A six-video series lets Amanda pick pieces, remake them, and help people see what they might have walked past. Her past comes in lightly too. Amanda says she and her husband once won Flea Market Flip on HGTV, turning a found object into something they had to sell again. The Restore idea becomes tangible: a corner of the store with Amanda's favorite pieces, local and useful and full of joy. Sarah closes with thanks that feels earned, honoring the visit, the story, and the neighborhood presence Amanda brings with her.

As heard by us

A warm arts conversation where style meets community work, practical creativity, and affection.

Amanda Perna leads a bright local conversation about fashion, visual flair, and the practical side of creative community work. The discussion moves from design to boards, nonprofit partnerships, and restoring overlooked objects to useful life, so it keeps a clear sense of motion…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a bright, feel-good chat with Amanda Perna about fashion, creative reinvention, and giving things a second life.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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