efashion Le Fash: Fashions in the Fast Lane By Dani Moritz A life-long equestrian and fashionista, Arianna Vastino saw the connection between horses and fashion in high fashion clothing lines, but noticed the exact opposite with equestrian apparel. Although companies like Ralph Lauren and Gucci have been selling equestrian-inspired clothing for years, she felt equestrian apparel companies just weren t catching on. What I wanted to do with Le Fash is create riding clothes that were a little more high end that had a fashion appeal to them, said Arianna. In 2011, she launched Le Fash an equestrian fashion collection suitable for showing, schooling and walking through the streets of New York. The line is a favorite among top riders like Jennifer Alfano and Maggie Jayne. Arianna combined her experience in the hunter/jumper ring and years of working in the fashion industry to produce a clothing line that would appeal to equestrians and non-equestrians alike even women looking for professional apparel. I wanted to create high fashion for riders that would also create clothes that would really appeal to non-riders who like the equestrian style, Arianna said. All of our clothes are designed to cross over into your everyday life, so it doesn t look like riding attire when you are out in the city, at work or with your friends and, of course, it does look like traditional riding attire when you re in the show ring. Le Fash products are made with high quality fabrics, like bamboo, to provide attire perfect for performance and the fashion scene. The clothing line reflects vintage riding and hunt attire, enhancing the line with details like plaids, richer hues and golden and silver buttons that emulate hunt club pins. Arianna says another hit feature is the color blocking style in their show shirts. [This style] has become our trademark and is not only because it creates a slimming feature when worn, but also is very on trend, she said. Polished off with a hidden magnetic collar closure, our shirts are really the perfect button down whether in the ring or every day life. An equestrian herself, Arianna creates products with the fit Le Fash, an official sponsor of the Hampton Classic, will hold a Wear It & Win It Challenge at the show. Le Fash s designs, including their perfect button down, are made in the fashion district of New York City. Arianna Vastino with her Dutch Warmblood, Zeus, who doubles as her show horse and a model for Le Fash. Photos by Dorian Wolf Photography and feel equestrians desire, without forfeiting style. I think it s important to be a rider still on the circuit and tell people that I wear my clothes and test all the products, Arianna said. I actively wear my clothes all the time. In addition to being proud of Le Fash s high quality products, Arianna is also proud to say that all of her clothes are made in the United States in the fashion district of New York City. To celebrate their collection of show shirts and reward those who wear them, this summer Le Fash launched their Wear It & Win It Challenge for the 2013 summer circuit. The challenge offered competitors at various shows throughout the season a chance to win prizes including free Le Fash products, gift certificates and cash to the winner of select hunter and jumper classes if they were sporting a Le Fash show shirt. The challenge was inspired by the thought that you ll perform as well as you look. Ultimately when you feel like a million bucks, you re going to ride like a billion bucks, Arianna said. The challenge concludes with The Hampton Classic s $25,000 Hampton Classic Jumper Derby, held just before the grand prix. Le Fash is an official sponsor of this year s Hampton Classic and they will have a pop-up shop in the boutique garden the entire week. While at the Hampton Classic, Le Fash will also be launching a new line of breeches to add to their current collection of show shirts. Arianna wasn t able to release too many details, but did say you can expect the same fashion forward look her show shirts cater to. Basically they re in line with the shirts, Arianna said. They will cross into everyday life that you can wear out with friends with a cool heel and they will also be totally functioning riding pants. The breech line will be available for pre-order during the Hampton Classic and will be on display for the very first time. For more information about Le Fash, catch Arianna at The Hampton Classic or visit her website at lefashny.com. 84 SIDELINES AUGUST 2013 FOR HORSE PEOPLE ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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efashion Gersemi Inspires Luxurious Beauty Maricela and Jan Alexandersson with fashions from their Gersemi collection. Photo by Jørgen Bak Rasmussen By Dani Moritz Gersemi outerwear makes a fashionable statement. Photo courtesy of Gersemi Created in the image of the fashion brand Kyra K, an equestrian apparel brand developed with the inspiration of six-time Olympian Kyra Kyrklund, Gersemi has taken its place among top equestrian brands. Jan Alexandersson, president and founder of Gersemi, established the brand in 2008 after he had an amicable parting of ways with the Kyra K brand, which he also helped develop. Gersemi, which follows a similar vision as Kyra K, launched its first collection in the spring of 2009. Jan comes from an equestrian family, so he knows what riders want. His parents were breeders from the time he was born until their retirement, his sister was the Chef d Equipe for the Swedish dressage team for more than 10 years and he worked as a groom and instructor before entering the world of equestrian retail in 1975. Based in Sweden, his new high fashion women s equestrian label is named after the Norse goddess Gersemi, whose name is synonymous with beauty. The goddess is also known to embrace the strength and serenity that radiates from within horses, so it makes sense that the brand is named after her. Jan says the name was chosen because it symbolizes what Gersemi aims to inspire beauty. We thought that was a good name for a brand because that s what we want to do and that s what we want people to feel when they wear it. Keeping in line with the innovative style of its roots with Kyra K, Gersemi blends fashion and function to create a unique brand that adds a touch of style to equestrian sports. Gersemi introduces two collections every year, in addition to standard items like show jackets and breeches. The style of the brand is functional, but fashionable, said Jan. I would say we are probably the most fashionable brand in the equestrian industry. We always have more functional pieces and then more fashionable 86 SIDELINES AUGUST 2013 FOR HORSE PEOPLE ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
pieces in the collections. Jan says the brand is also unique in that it is known for its garments showcasing extensive detail that is not usually found in equestrian apparel. Standard for Gersemi is the higher end fabrics and attention paid to what other brands may see as extras - from interior cell phone pockets, to velvet trim on inside seams, soft pocket lining and luxurious linings, said Maricela Alexandersson. Maricela doubles as Jan s wife and a Gersemi designer. She has been designing for the brand since 2011. Maricela works hard to create apparel that offers trendy looks without forfeiting comfort or usability by utilizing fabrics that offer flexibility, breathability and suitability for the various seasons. We aim to change the way people look at specialty apparel when it comes to riding clothes, said Maricela. We want the consumer to wear our clothes not only at the barn, but make our clothes fashionable enough to be able to wear them around town. The brand is also all-inclusive and draws in a wide variety of customers. I would say Gersemi goes for all English riders, said Jan. We even have western riders that use our brand. Gersemi may be a relatively new name to the equestrian industry, but its foundation offers a promising future for this fashion forward company. For more information about Gersemi, or to browse its collections, visit Gersemi.se. Gersemi polo shirts and breeches can be worn at the barn and around town as well. Photo courtesy of Gersemi FOR HORSE PEOPLE ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE SIDELINES AUGUST 2013 87
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efashion A Head For Fashion By Maria Wynne Sidelines Writer Across the Pond The helmet world is constantly changing along with the rulings of the various associations. And each discipline has its own style and interpretation of what a helmet should look like. Manufacturers are constantly challenged to meet all of these demands, whilst ensuring that the protective properties of their helmets are not compromised. The fashions within the dressage market are changing rapidly along with the new legislation regarding the wearing of protective headgear. Very quickly the Top Hat has now come to look old fashioned, as tradition gives way to protection that combines fashion. The Top Hat will quickly be consigned to museums and the dusty halls of historical etiquette. The accident that befell Courtney King-Dye and the movement that is Riders4Helmets has meant that helmets are the required choice. The uvex company is proud to be involved with the annual Riders4Helmets International Awareness Day, and are delighted to help this very important date grow in stature globally year upon year. The uvex company slogan is Protecting People and they have been investing in research and technology in order to do just that since 1926. uvex offers a tailored service, whereby riders can co-ordinate their helmet with their colours, be it crosscountry colours or the colours of their national flag. They also manufacture helmets that combine discreet amounts of Swarovski elements in different designs that catch the light just so to flatter and accentuate. Crystals and diamonds are particularly favoured by the dressage and jumping communities and for this uvex manufactures a glamorous model named perfexxion. The helmet features Swarovski elements to the front and sides of the helmet along with a discreet swirl design. The multitude of styles within the perfexxion model includes the perfexxion paisley which offers a discreet dual colour that looks pretty in the hunter ring. The uvex model perfexxion elegance cc has a more traditional velvety suede finish with a broader peak that flatters broader faces and cheekbones, and the perfexxion active model boasts a smooth mat finish in a range of subtle standard colours. For the younger rider, uvex offers the supersonic helmet in 12 different colour combinations and finishes, including: silver Laura Tomlinson wears her uvex helmet while riding Mistral Hojris. Photo by Fiona Scott Maxwell dégradé, titan dégradé, black mat dégradé, ranch dark silver mat, ponies pink mat, ponies blue mat, flowers navy/blue, flowers grey/ black, horse black mat, horse white mat and plain black mat. Truly something for every child s heart. The uvex helmets are certified by SEI to ASTM F1163 and are available online and at tack stores. For further information, contact GEM Tack, Inc., at 866-Gem-Tack (toll free in the United States) or visit their website at www.gemtack.com. About the writer: Maria Wynne lives in the UK and has spent her entire life with horses and her family background is steeped in them. She is a proud (single) Mum of an adorable five-year-old son named Theodore Denman, who is named after the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner. 90 SIDELINES AUGUST 2013 FOR HORSE PEOPLE ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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efashion Karina Brez s Crowning Achievement By Dani Moritz Karina s logo, a butterfly in a crown, symbolizes beauty, femininity and royalty. Karina Brez wasn t born in the saddle. In fact, horses entered her life only three years ago when she became involved with her friend s nonprofit organization, Horses Healing Hearts (HHH), as an ambassador and honorary chair. She became involved with the organization after her friend was murdered by her alcoholic husband, leaving her friend s orphaned child behind. Little did she know how much the organization would impact her life. For Karina, her involvement with HHH meant an opportunity to make a difference and gave her a chance to interact with horses. I always loved horses, I just never had the opportunity to ride them, she said. That s the reason I moved to Wellington. And soon, helping with fundraising and working at the barn on the weekends became much more than a way to volunteer. It became her inspiration. Karina combined her newfound love of horses and her passion for gemology to create an equine collection as part of her Karina Brez jewelry line, which debuted in 2010. In return, Karina gives a percentage of the proceeds from her equestrian pieces back to HHH. I m always trying to raise money for HHH, she said. It s a great charity and I don t know where these kids would be without it. While Karina may be relatively new to horses, she has a long history with jewelry. Actually, she is a third generation jeweler. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Ukraine in 1989 and her dad started working with Tiffany & Co., doing repairs and assembling jewelry, later opening his own stores. Her dad currently owns a store, Alex Jewelry, in Boca Raton, Florida at the International Jewelers Exchange. Karina worked at her dad s store as a young adult and later became a graduate gemologist through the Gemologist Institute of America. Today, Karina has created her own jewelry line, which includes equestrian pieces and other items such as engagement rings, wedding bands and fashion jewelry. And while she gets a lot of inspiration from working with horses, her collections are also inspired by the French countryside even though Karina jokes that she s only been there once. I just went Karina and Argento at Horses Healing Hearts sponsor barn Double J. Photos courtesy of Karina Brez there one summer with my mom and I fell in love with the French countryside, she said. Even her logo, a butterfly in a crown, reflects her love for the romance of France while symbolizing beauty, femininity and royalty. The crown also represents a special chapter in her life being named the 2012 Miss Florida USA. The concept for the logo came about when Karina was trying to create a B for her last name and stumbled upon the idea of a butterfly. In a way, I want my jewelry to represent the stages of life, like a butterfly goes through, she said. I also want my jewelry to be something that people can keep for a time and then pass onto their children, so it can become a keepsake for future generations. To create jewelry that people truly value, Karina gives special attention to each of her pieces. She handpicks stones from all around the world and is always the last one to approve an item. When working on her equestrian jewelry, Karina emphasizes the individuality of horses and expresses horses unique personalities in her equestrian collection. She also offers the option for customers to send in images of their horses, so that she can customize pieces with a specific horse in mind. I can create a piece of jewelry that they can keep and remember their horse by for years and years. If you are interested in Karina s jewelry line, you can visit her website at karinabrez.com or catch her at her booth at next year s WEF. A piece from Karina s Equestrian Collection. About the writer: Dani Moritz is a graduate of William Woods University with majors in Equine General Studies and Communications. She is a staff writer for Sidelines Magazine, freelance journalist and proud owner of a beautiful Paint/ Arabian mare named September. She is also the 2012 American Horse Publications Student Award winner. 92 SIDELINES AUGUST 2013 FOR HORSE PEOPLE ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE