On Sunday night, two of Vogue’s very favorite horse girls, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, made a thunderous appearance at Vogue World: Paris, flying the flag for equestrian sports.
During the portion of the evening inspired by 1950s fashion, models streamed down the catwalk in riffs on Dior’s iconic Bar jacket—a piece reminiscent of the jackets worn by riders in show-jumping competitions (dressage, too, though theirs are longer)—as well as other equestrian-inspired looks by Balmain, Thom Browne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Margiela, and more. Close on their heels were Jenner and Hadid—both riders and horse lovers since 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood—who crossed the iconic Place Vendôme on horseback, dressed in jackets, pants, and boots from Hermès’s fall 2024 collection.
Their Andalusian steeds, seven-year-old Django (the dark one) and nine-year-old Napo (the gray one), were also outfitted by the French fashion house; just take a look at their bright orange saddle pads, matching wraps, and blankets made of scarves. (Of course, dressing horses and riders is very much in Hermès’s wheelhouse; its original business, established by Thierry Hermès in 1837, produced bridles and carriage harnesses, introducing saddlery in the 1880s. Other leather goods—and clothes—would come a bit later.)
At a rehearsal for Vogue World: Paris on Saturday, Jenner and Hadid had the chance to meet their mounts before the big show and learn a little about their backgrounds. Both horses come from Évreux, a picturesque commune in Normandy, where they live in a barn near a cabaret called Le Manège de Tilly. Its creator and manager, Frederic Mouquet, has raised and trained both horses since they were three and uses them in performances once or twice a month. That regular experience with noise and big crowds made them a good fit for the fashion circus of Vogue World: Paris—not to mention the fact that Valérie Chavanon, a longtime trainer and animal coordinator who served as a consultant for Sunday’s event, had previously worked with Napo on a Dior commercial. (Mouquet has called Napo “brave,” while Django is more “cheeky.”) Parfait.
