'Mannequin Queen' Judi Henderson-Townsend connects culture and sustainable fashion

OAKLAND, Calif. -- As an accidental entrepreneur and mannequin queen, Judi Henderson-Townsend is changing the world one recycled mannequin at a time. Her Oakland-based store Mannequin Madness is one of the top five mannequin distributors in the county, as well as the largest mannequin recycling company in the US.

One of Judi's favorite parts of her business is sharing all the creative ways that non-retail customers can use mannequins for various DIY projects, like her recent headdress workshop.

"I came up with the headdress workshop because people needed something creative that was easy, and you can make wearable art in 90 minutes that you can wear for years to come," explained Judi.

The event encouraged participants to connect artistry and culture as they crafted intricate headdresses using recycled materials.

"I thought this was an interesting way of looking at sustainable fashion that's a little different, and I really thought that was fun at this event," said workshop attendee Dakota Margolis.

"I really wanted to find a way to be creative and have fun and make something I could wear and feel totally fabulous in," said workshop attendee Mable Huang. "And engage my multi-cultural identity, so this is checking all the boxes for me."

Judi continues to inspire creativity through her business with workshops, tutorials, and Zoom classes.

"Making something by hand has been proven to help you with your anxiety, relieve depression, make you happy, and I'm thinking, don't we need a little more happiness and joy right now?"

For more information about Mannequin Madness, visit here and follow @mannequinmadness on Instagram.