The season for equestrian fashion

Who would have thought that in 2024, as street style fades, equestrian fashion would make a comeback? Maybe Gucci, which, well ahead of the game, relaunched the Jackie bag and the iconic horse-bit months before retailers like Asos recorded a 260% increase in searches for "riding boots." After all, the inspiration for the equestrian style we’ve seen on the runway from brands like Gucci, Hermès, and Stella McCartney draws directly from the wardrobe of former American first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, often photographed in beige outfits, tall leather boots, scarves, and, of course, oversized sunglasses. In addition to knee-high boots, other traditionally equestrian footwear making their way up the fashion trend charts includes jodhpur boots, or short boots with rubber soles and rounded toes historically worn by polo players. According to The Guardian, the British multibrand retailer John Lewis is reporting a week-to-week increase in sales of 74% for riding boots, especially models by Ralph Lauren and Sam Edelman. Judging by recent data and what we’ve seen at the latest Fashion Weeks, it seems that fashion is ready to move on from beloved cowboy boots in favor of a more posh look, as they would say in the UK.

One designer who introduced equestrian fashion into her new collections this year is not only British but is also the daughter of an enduring icon of the Anglo-Saxon world. On the FW24 runway, Stella McCartney presented a pair of jeans with traditional leather chaps (naturally in vegan leather, given the designer’s commitment to animal activism), while the new FW24 campaign, released this week, features a horse. Capturing the brand’s ambassador Sarah Snook, actress from the cult series Succession, beside a magnificent dark horse, Stella McCartney presented the brand’s new it-bag, the Stella Ryder, whose silhouette is inspired by the curve of a horse’s back – and of saddles. This isn’t the first time the designer and animal activist has drawn on the equestrian world: for FW23, the runway was an actual sand arena where horses and models walked in leopard-print coats and equestrian motifs.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, 1970

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Gucci FW24

Vogue World

Sarah Snook for Stella McCartney

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart at the Paris Olympics

After the American Western trend, which stayed in vogue for several seasons thanks to collections by creatives like Pharrell for Louis Vuitton and it-girls like Bella Hadid (who has almost entirely left fashion to dedicate herself to rodeo), it seems it’s now the English riding ensemble’s turn. The new rider look doesn’t draw on the archetypal "horse girl" style presented by Collina Strada, a New York brand that has long highlighted the eccentric side of equestrian enthusiasts (and we feel obliged to mention the hoof shoes by McQueen), but instead reflects an aesthetic known as quiet luxury that looks to the affluent classes and the rigor of their wardrobes. With palettes dominated by neutral tones, traditional silhouettes, and meticulously tailored cuts, the trend follows in the footsteps of tenniscore and Dark Academia. And while fast fashion retailers like Asos may offer boots and blazers that are more trendy than functional, due to possible low quality and discomfort, brands like Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Hermès are reviving designs that were bestsellers back in the ’60s and ’70s (when Jackie O’s style was iconic). Just this past June, the equestrian fashion house par excellence invited models Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid to ride horses in full dressage attire for the Vogue World show in Paris. Also this summer in Paris, during the Olympics, Snoop Dogg dressed up as a knight alongside Martha Stewart; though an unusual sight, it’s doubtful his look directly inspired the latest fashion collections, but who knows – every trend needs a rapper’s touch before it hits street style.