Giddy Up! Equestrian Style Is Here to Stay - The Gloss Magazine

Giddy Up! Equestrian Style Is Here to Stay

In a season bristling with equestrian events, from racing to showjumping, we consider the impact of fashion’s unbridled and enduring enthusiasm for all things equine …

From the silk bomber jackets of jump jockeys to the crisp white shirts and stock pins of dressage riders – one equestrian look or another has always been in fashion. Designers have mined the components, not just for collections but also eye-catching campaigns, often letting the horse, not rider, take centre stage. In Gucci’s SS20 presentation “Of Course A Horse” horses were photographed in cool blue Cadillacs and 1970s jets; a year later, its collaboration with Balenciaga featured paddock boots, velvet riding jackets, and a helmet with a medieval-style-mohican crest. Celine featured 17-year-old stallion Goya in its AW21 campaign, while Dior opted for a snow-white steed.

In a bit of a turnaround for the horsey set – traditionally seen as somewhat fusty, not fashionable, as characterised in novels by Jane Smiley, Jilly Cooper, Dick Francis and Anthony Trollope, a slew of fashionable riders has come to the fore recently, thanks to Instagram. Horse-obsessed models include Bella Hadid and Edie Campbell, who has competed in high-profile races, as well as Kendall Jenner. Then there’s Mary-Kate Olsen, co-designer of The Row, and Georgina Bloomberg, a philanthropist and professional equestrian, like Jessica Springsteen, Bruce’s daughter (who has competed in Dublin). Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, granddaughter of Grace Kelly, cantered through Chanel’s SS22 Haute Couture show on her horse Kuskus, wearing a black tweed jacket studded with sequins. Arguably the most talked about Love Island contestant this year is Gemma Owen, an international dressage rider, who has not only raised pulses but also awareness of the sport.

Hillary Taymour, creative director of the quirky brand Collina Strada, is a self-proclaimed horse girl. She dressed Kim Petras, (above), in “Horset” – a gown adorned with a horse head, for the Met Gala in 2021. Taymour says it’s après-ride dressing she loves most: “I didn’t love traditional horse girl fashion, but I do love a post-riding look of britches, boots, a rhinestone ribbed tank top, a Von Dutch hat and a studded belt.”

There are several places to view post-ride fashion at the Dublin Horse Show (at the RDS from August 17- 20) among them The Whiskey Bar and Lobby Lounge at the InterContinental Dublin and Roly’s Bistro, both in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Competitors wear jodhpurs, while their chic entourage are most likely sporting Magee jackets, crisp white shirts and skinny jeans with horsebit loafers or Dubarry boots. Minimal jewellery is all that’s needed, but a little sparkle is essential – a diamond stud perhaps. Fascinators and frou frou frocks are reserved for Ladies’ Day on Thursday, August 18. Prizes include a gift card worth €10,000 from Dundrum Town Centre and a Longines Dolce Vita watch for the winner of the “Elegance is Attitude” award. www.dublinhorseshow.com.

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