Bizkaia Dmoda The firm from Getxo that Carlota Casiraghi or Marta Ortega should know

MARY CALVO

Equestrian sports have always been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for designers and have been closely linked to the big fashion houses. They are two opposite spheres that have walked hand in hand over the last few centuries, sharing their values ​​of excellence and quality, both inside and outside the racecourses and catwalks. Few symbols are as recognizable in the world as the Gucci stirrup worn on the classic 'Horsebit' moccasins and there is no bag more iconic than the Hermès 'Haut à Courroies', originally created for riders to store their belongings and years ended up becoming one of the most exclusive in history. Examples number in the hundreds. This French house, like Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Coach 1941 or Longchamp -the latter named after the famous Parisian racecourse- have horses engraved in their respective logos, giving a good account of the sybaritic essence that unites them with the equine world .

Nor is it surprising that leading women in the sector and considered the most elegant on the planet feel a special weakness for horse riding. Carlota Casiraghi, princess of Monaco, successor to the Grimaldi beauty and renowned horsewoman, became the image of Gucci in several equestrian-inspired campaigns. Even the uniforms that she used to compete had the seal of the Italian house. Marta Ortega, daughter of Amancio Ortega and active heiress to the Inditex empire, is another of the women from the upper echelons of fashion who is not difficult to see competing in championships on the back of one of the copies she owns. In fact, her favorite mare, Dana Blue, has just established herself as the best of her breed (KWPN) worldwide. Although we are used to seeing them defending the most exclusive catwalk designs, there are many occasions that they have been seen wearing pants, boots, polo shirts and riding jackets. Precisely in this type of visually aesthetic and highly flattering garments, a Biscayan firm has specialized that all lovers of this discipline should keep track of.

Ana Eguizábal is the visible face of Zanahoria Equitación, a young brand that was born in Getxo at the end of 2018, with the sole purpose of selling quality pieces at reasonable prices. This 44-year-old Biscayan has always been a fan of horse riding and show jumping. She has been riding horses since she was little, she has always participated in championships and has won several of them. Today she continues to practice at the La Galea Equestrian Club and her 9-year-old daughter has taken over from her hobby. Needless to say, she is now the best ambassador of this family brand aimed at children and adults that you will recognize by the nice logo of her designs, embroidered on the neck and at the height of the heart. The carrot is the most precious morsel of any horse and the name chosen to baptize her most personal project. “I wanted something simple that could be translated into a logo and 'carrot' seemed nice to me. Those of us who practice this sport always go with bags full of them to give them to the horses », she assures.

As with many other entrepreneurial proposals, this one was born from the need to fill a personal need. «Before I used to buy some contest shirts through a catalog that I loved and that almost everyone looked good on, but fashions pass and they stopped selling them. Since then, it was very difficult for me to find simple, elegant and comfortable pageant clothes that feel good. This is what encouraged me to create my own clothing brand, under the premise of creating elegant, comfortable and exclusive garments », she explains.

Although she has the invaluable help of her husband, Ana is in charge of supervising the entire design and production process. In this case, she always emphasizes the need to promote 'made in Spain', which is why each and every one of her garments is made in Spanish workshops that guarantee high quality standards. “In this way, we ensure that the conditions of the people who work throughout the process are adequate. It is also a way to reduce the carbon footprint and, in addition, we can more easily control the finish, the times, the details...».

She started with a small collection of contest garments, but thanks to the good reception she had at the beginning, she was able to expand her discourse with new colors, designs and products. All of them are made with quality fabrics that allow complete freedom of movement and are also fresh and breathable. “I did some research and discovered that technical garments that use polyester are the ones that produce odours. Polyamide, however, is a much cooler fabric than it dries before and it was clear to me what I wanted for my pieces. I found a workshop in Valladolid that could make garments with all the requirements that, for me, are essential », she acknowledges. With a base of 96% polyamide and 4% elastane, which allows the clothing to adapt to the body, the fabrics were dyed in a palette of colors ranging from light pink to light blue, navy blue, white or grey.

The potential of Carrot Riding is in the polo shirts and shirts. Those for women and girls have the characteristic contrasting 'mao' collars, made of poplin and closed with hooks for greater comfort. Those for boys and men have a shirt collar, also made of poplin because it holds up the tie well, and a pin that prevents them from flying off during the competition. Their latest additions are navy blue V-neck sweatshirts for both men and women, and two-tone saddle pads to protect the horse from chafing from the saddle. At the moment, he does not plan to expand his offer to other products such as jackets, helmets or boots. "Perhaps later we will launch raincoats," he specifies. The reception is being impeccable, especially in the north of Spain, which is where they move the most. Apart from their online store, their products can be purchased at the 'stands' that they usually put up at equestrian competitions or at three physical points in Santander, Logroño and Gerona.

The 'boom' of sportswear on the streets

For several years now, sportswear has blurred its own limits and has been extrapolated at street level. The gym tracksuit, mountain clothing or the 'fuseau' pants that were used for skiing, among many other examples, are a reality in everyday life. The marked equestrian aesthetic is no exception, and the catwalks confirm this fact every season, since there is no year that a designer does not take us to these select circuits where horses are the protagonists. Without going any further, for this very winter that we will soon leave behind, Virginie Viard, creative director of Chanel, put on the map a reinterpretation of the classic two-tone riding boot. Of course, none of the seasoned 'influencers' wanted to let them escape. Self Portrait dressed its models in the classic riding caps and Balmain or Michael Kors managed to take the look of the horse clubs to its maximum expression.

As we can see, the shirts and polo shirts offered by Carrot Riding are the same ones that the big fashion houses propose for day-to-day use in their 'prêt-à-porter' collections. And the thing is, the garments from this firm from Getxo can become a good basic wardrobe, perfectly valid to integrate into the routine. “My mother, my cousins ​​and myself usually wear the shirts on a daily basis. Open polo shirts with jeans are also ideal for young and old », she reaffirms. One more example that sport and fashion have more and more in common.