South Ronaldsay’s ‘incredible’ horse outfits motivate catwalk collection

Festival of the Horse costumes

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Doug Houghton Orkney/ Alamy Stock Image

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Ladies have actually participated in the Celebration of the Horse considering that the 1950 s.

An island tradition where women impersonate horses in intricate costumes has actually inspired the current collection from an emerging designer.

Charles Jeffrey has taken aspects from the clothing that are worn on South Ronaldsay, Orkney, and translated them for the catwalk.

He said he was right away inspired when a pal revealed him images of kids dressed up for the South Ronaldsay Celebration of the Horse and Young Boys’ Ploughing Match.

Throughout the event, young boys on the island compete using miniature ploughs.

They are evaluated on tilling straight and even furrows on a spot of beach at Sands o’ Wright.

Festival of the Horse costume and Charles Jeffrey design

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Alamy/Charles Jeffrey

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The Orkney clothing inspired Charles Jeffrey’s newest designs.

On the other hand, the girls parade in outfits that are inspired by the designs worn by heavy horses in the show ring.

Some of their outfits are magnificent, with a collar, hat, belt and feet decors. A tail might be repaired to the jacket and pom-poms or fringes stitched onto the cuffs.

Charles Jeffrey, the designer behind the Loverboy label, said he clearly kept in mind the first time he saw pictures of the costumes.

” I was similar to: ‘This is literally fantastic. I can’t think this is Scottish. It looks almost African. Or Norwegian’.”

Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY design

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Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY

Charles Jeffrey design

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Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY

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The clothing were revealed as part of Charles Jeffrey’s Fall 2020 collection at the beginning of the year.

He informed BBC Radio Orkney that he researched the event because he wanted to integrate as many elements of Scottish culture as possible in his newest collection.

It was unveiled in London earlier this month, and described as his “most accomplished” work so far by some critics.

Charles, who is originally from Cumbernauld, moved to London as a teenager to study at Central Saint Martins College. His Loverboy label grew out of the city’s club scene, and his work has actually seen contrasts being made to Alexander McQueen.

Charles said the costumes worn during the celebration on South Ronaldsay were “aesthetically abundant”.

Festival of the Horse costumes

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Doug Houghton/ Alamy Stock Picture

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He included: “I was instantly inspired by that, and after that started considering how they might be translated into pieces which we could put onto a catwalk.

” I was quite drawn to the concept of replicating the embroidery, however attempting to use it in such a way that would work for us.

” I’m also an illustrator, so I did a few of my own motifs and then rendered them in the very same aspects that you would find on the Celebration of the Horse outfits.”

He said the main motivation for his collection was the style of giving back to nature, and honouring farming tradition.

The history of the South Ronaldsay Festival of the Horse and Boys’ Ploughing Match go back at least two centuries.

Ploughing match

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Celebration of the Horse

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Kids are judged on straight even furrows in the sand.

Moira Budge, from South Ronaldsay, is on the committee which runs the event.

” In one of his designs he has a hoodie and he’s put ears on it, which is like some of the outfits which have little ears for the horses”, she stated.

The Celebration of the Horse and Boys’ Ploughing Match takes place every August.

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