104 SIDELINES AUGUST 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Vivian Bolman
A
fter a long career in the packaging industry catering to
international spirits companies and United States-based
wineries, I started to make some life changes in 2011
that would not only let me pursue my passion for horses and the
equestrian lifestyle, but would also give me the freedom to spend
more time in my beloved home country — the Netherlands — and
Europe.
I had worked with European companies exporting to the U.S.A.
so with a network of connections in the European business as
well as equestrian world, the idea was born to start my equestrian
apparel import and distribution company, FAB Sportswear. I
changed to packaging for horse and rider!
A
Passion
for
Fashion!
e
My Story - Fashion
Continued on page 106
My passion has always been horses. I’ve shown in Europe
and in the United States for many years and was already
pretty familiar with the horse show world in the U.S.A. and what
horse people want related to equestrian fashion and apparel. I
always heard from horse friends in the United States about how I
dressed “European” and they liked it. With several horse friends
and equestrian fashion connections in Europe, it seemed like a no
brainer to start my import business.
I’ve been an equestrian since age 5. After many years of
dressage in Europe, I started doing jumpers when I moved to the
U.S.A. in the ’90s. Since I’m most familiar with this discipline, FAB
Sportswear is currently focusing on hunter and jumper apparel but
we’re definitely open to developing in other areas in the future.
FAB Sportswear is a wholesale distributor based in Northern
California specializing in sales of equestrian fashion. We bring
stylish, high quality and innovative equestrian apparel from Europe
to the U.S.A. and focus on brands that are new to the U.S. market.
The brands we carry are Winston Equestrian from Belgium and
Esperado from Germany. Both companies constantly develop
new items and stay on top of new fashion trends. We’re proud to
be the exclusive U.S. distributor for both brands.
Winston Equestrian show apparel is made of the best European
fabrics, designed by a team of professionals from Belgium. This
classy collection is for both men and women and offers elegantly
tailored show jackets, stretch-fitted show shirts, form-flattering
breeches and a selection of accessories. The main features that
make the Winston collection stand out are the lightweight fabrics
and the tailored European fit. Customers also like the fact that all
Winston apparel can be machine washed, even the show jackets.
“My Story” is a first person account of life in the equestrian world. Would you like to write your story for Sidelines Magazine? To be
considered, send a brief description of your story to
.
Esperado Stars hoody in green
Photo provided by Esperado
Vivian with her jumper Zack
Photo by Deb Dawson Photography
