In 2006 I took a trip to Guatemala to celebrate my grandma’s 80th birthday and my best friend came with me. During our visit my family planned a trip to hike up the Pacaya Volcano, so when we arrived to the volcano site there were some kids surrounding us trying to sell us plastic ‘ponchos’ which really were just a plain square piece of plastic that you ripped a hole to fit over your head lol..I remember my friend getting a kick out of this and how much she enjoyed this trip.
Sadly my best friend passed away last year and I created a collection called Erupted Love in her honor inspired by the Volcano we hiked up.
I showcased the collection during fashion focus week in October 2012. I opened the show with a poncho that I made using Guatemalan fabric and a poem:
She is silence, a soft breeze awakened by a quiet hardiness, the stepping stone to something far more exciting and that is a call she cannot afford to let go unanswered. She is muted strength and soundless nourishment. She knows there is a journey that must take place and this is as good a place to start as any. A stable place, a grand space, a firm base ..she looks up and takes that first step, riches of organic beauty beneath the soles of her feet lead her upward up..and up
To “Gege” with Love..
“The Journey” Poncho
Wanda Cobar Design Studio 