86 YEAR-OLD LAUNCHES FASHION COLLECTION
Atlanta, GA (BlackNews.com) -- Bishop Dr. Barbara Lewis King is a minister, world spiritual leader and founder of the Hillside Chapel and Truth Center in Atlanta. Georgia. People worldwide, including foreign dignitaries, politicians, professionals and celebrities, have been touched by Dr. King and she credits her expansive and impressive journey with her ability to tap into the God within.
Dr. Barbara, as she is affectionately known, is widely recognized, not only for her sense of Spirit, but for her sense of style. As a child, she was taught by her grandmother to always present herself well. Standing 6’5” in her stocking feet, the enigmatic leader, has always taken her grandmother’s teachings to heart, dressing to accentuate her presence, believing that her height was a blessing to help her stand out in a crowd.
In the 90’s she opened a boutique in the Galleria Mall in Atlanta specializing in special sized women’s apparel. Although the demands of her schedule forced her to close the shop a few years after opening, she never lost her desire to help women dress beautifully. So, at 86 years young, she has turned her sights once again to fashion.
Dr. Barbara received the highest honor ever bestowed upon a woman as she was enstooled as the first female chief at Assin Nsuta, Ghana, West Africa. Because of their exquisite embroidery and colorful prints, she often wears traditional African garments from Ghana. However, she also loves the unique and one-of-kind garments designed for her by several American designers. One of them, M.G. Ballard, met Dr. Barbara shortly before she closed her boutique in the Galleria, and has been one of her favorite designers for over 13 years. Dr. Barbara shared her dream with M.G. Ballard, and thinking it would be an exciting venture, M.G. offered to work with her to launch her own label.
Anyone who knows Dr. Barbara knows that she has a special affinity for butterflies. In recognition of that, several items in each collection will be part of what will be an ongoing series of apparel and accessories featuring butterflies. This year’s butterfly, titled “Grace in Flight,” is used on a dramatic cocoon coat, the premier piece in the series, as well as a short jacket, tote bag, a wall-hanging, and a decorator pillow. Five percent (5%) of the sale of each item in the butterfly series will be donated to a charity that assists women and children who are victims of domestic abuse.
As Dr. Barbara explains, “As a child growing up I was always attracted to the beauty and flight of butterflies. Butterflies represent few creatures in nature that show the transformation of forms from the larva (or egg) to the caterpillar into the cocoon to its ultimate succession as the beautiful colorful butterfly. The butterfly eventually leaves its cocoon in celestial beauty and love to continue its life’s work. The butterfly for me symbolizes my ability to go through profound changes with renewal and rebirth. At eighty six years young, I continue my transformation through the Barbara King Collection where the Butterfly in many colors is my emblem.”
Special Trunk Showing - How to RSVP
On Sunday, November 6, 2016, there will be a special Trunk Showing of the collection at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, International Towers, Pritzker Suite 2252, 265 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30303. The event, which is being coordinated by the Synpant Eprises Events Group, will be held from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM and will feature live models and music. The designer will be present at the event. Admission is free; however, R.S.V.P. is mandatory at 404-271-9281. The deadline to R.S.V.P. is Monday, October 31, 2016. For more information on the Barbara King Collection, visit www.barbarakingcollection.com or call 678-952-8885.
About M.G. Ballard
M.G. Ballard’s leather wearable art apparel and home accessory collections are owned by many celebrities and professional women and men across the country. A graduate and former instructor of Fashion Merchandising at Tuskegee University, M.G. Ballard is also a fine artist whose work is sold on the Fantastic Voyage each year to support The Tom Joyner Foundation. For more information on M.G. Ballard, visitwww.mgballarddesigns.com.
