Why horses?
What do horses have to do with clothing, much less strict morals regarding how and why clothing is made?
Everything.
The relationship between humans and equines, by any reasonable argument, should have died out around a century ago, when engines replaced the physical strength we valued and relied on for a couple millenia. Hanging out with horses is technically useless and hopelessly outdated - yet they are still a highly regarded part of our culture, from art to dedicated circus shows to the persisting popularity of equestrian sports.
My theory is that humans have quite literally evolved to love horses. It’s so engrained in our minds and hearts that the simple invention of automobiles did little to lessen the feelings. Horses now represent a sense of a slower time, and nostalgia. Our entire lives used to revolve around them; even what we wore. Seeing as riding was one of the main forms of transport, it only made sense to design clothing to fit around that. Therefore, the term “equestrian style” is used in modern times to describe classic, practical, timeless fashion - wardrobe staples like blazers and tailored shirts. And those great boots! Equestrian style has also come to represent quality made goods (- if you’ve ever seen horse’s capacities to destroy their blankets, you would understand).
This is another concept that has endured into modern times despite all odds: items that are made using traditional craftsmanship methods, and are made to last into future generations. With the convenience and astoundingly low cost of “stuff” so readily available, why are we still so willing to pay ten times as much for a well made piece? Environmental consciousness has played an important part in this - constantly throwing old junk in a landfill has become terribly passé. As humans, we are a species of “makers,” whether it be tools or coats or space ships. This is even more a part of our culture than horses. This explains a love of “nice things,” even if we ourselves would have no idea how to go about making it.
So this is where all of the ideas tie together, at least for me. As silly as it sounds to base an entire brand off of nostalgia, there are some things that are just truly timeless: the sight of a shining horse in the sun, perfectly straight stitching, and a belt you could pass on to your granddaughter. And hey, it means that part of my job is looking for pictures of cute baby horses to post on social media - I’m pretty okay with that.
-Katelyn
