Makings of The Equine Chronicle Dress
By: Brittany Bevis
When Kevin Marcus Garcia and Brian Isbell Garcia’s daughter, Lola, received an assignment from school with a recycling theme, they knew exactly where to look for inspiration- the pages of The Equine Chronicle!
An accomplished, young equestrienne, Miss Lola is in third grade at Burgess Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Recently, the school tasked students with a challenge to create a garment for the Trash To Fashion Show. Because Kevin is the owner of Kevin Garcia Originals (KGO), an upscale horse show apparel company, Lola was in good hands.
“I started my career as a child model, which lead to my love and appreciation for fashion,” Kevin says. “Ultimately, I became a clothing designer specializing in Western show apparel.”
“To emphasize and internalize the science standards regarding pollution and conservation, third grade students at Burgess Peterson Academy were asked to create an entire outfit from recycled materials,” Kevin says. “Lola’s runway look was made by looping, folding, taping, and stapling hundreds of strips of The Equine Chronicle magazine in an intricate pattern.”
Kevin explains that the look was inspired by a modern-day Eliza Doolittle, complete with a jaunty hat. The entire Garcia family, and everyone at KGO, helped in the design and garment creation process, which took three days to complete.
Lola’s favorite part of the process was making the loops and helping to weave the body of the dress. When selecting pieces to cut out of the magazine, she was excited to see several of her friends and their horses on the pages. She can’t wait to show them where they appear on her unique creation. She also loves the way the loops bounce when she walks and is looking forward to strutting her stuff down the runway.
“Both Brian and I feel that it’s important to take an interest in all of Lola’s activities. It’s a great way to bond together as a family while learning new things. This project just happened to be our specialty. We hope she learned that anything is possible when you put your mind to it.”
If you have a great story to share with www.EquineChronicle.com, email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com.
