Wynn MedingerBy STEPHANIE PETERS
THE WELCOME ARRIVAL OF SPRING seems to hold a different significance this year—certainly more so than prior years when a pandemic didn’t have the world in its grip.
Despite the challenges and obstacles presented over the last year, an array of equestrian fashion brands has brazenly launched new collections in 2021. Dazzling jackets and breeches in bold, surprising colors and glorious detailing beckon from shop windows, lookbooks, and websites.
Our featured brands have a common thread woven through their new pieces. Evident is their razor-sharp attention to aesthetics and flawless fits while keeping the collections lively with energized palettes of orange, plum, and aquamarine. Expect to find subtle silver piping, nuanced buttons, and feminine show shirts with cool mesh bibs.
Without sacrificing function or a polished turnout, a growing number of equestrian apparel businesses are increasing their focus on eco-conscious design and manufacturing. Portions of the newly introduced collections—modern, impeccably tailored, and comfortable—are sourced utilizing environmentally friendly methods.
The term sustainability is, at times, thrown about in myriad ways as a marketing gesture. However, there is an authentic shift within the fashion industry to prioritize economic and social issues through responsible textile production. You only have to look at Equiline’s Ride-into-the-Green campaign, Ronner Design’s Eco-fabric label initiative, and Noel Asmar’s commitment to a sustainable future across all aspects of their business to recognize the shifting business practice.
Brands are aware that savvy customers pay close attention to how items are sourced and understand how their decisions impact the environment. Adopting more efficient and eco-friendly methods, and designing apparel with a longer life, is a welcome departure from the past’s fast-clothing model and will resonate with today’s buyers.
Whether the pandemic has influenced or impacted this ongoing evolution is hard to pinpoint. What can be acknowledged this spring is that the reshuffling of business practices within the industry allows equestrians to feel not only polished and comfortable in the saddle but also able to enjoy their victories—large and small—in good conscience.
See the fashions:
Ariat
Cavalleria Toscana
Equiline
Noel Asmar
Rönner Design
Two Bits Equestrian
Vestrum