Equis Boutique A Fresh Take On Equestrian Fashion

Equis Boutique A Fresh Take On Equestrian Fashion

By Lindsay Brock

With an ever-evolving eye for bringing European equestrian brands to North America, Equis Boutique co-founders César Hirsch and Elena Couttenye rang in 2017 with big plans. Their goal was to couple Equis Boutique’s success in show jumping circles with a move toward establishing a name for themselves within the dressage community.

Originally from Venezuela, both Hirsch and Couttenye now call Wellington home. Drawn by the thriving equestrian community here, they are international judges and horse sport enthusiasts themselves. Their latest equine-inspired endeavor, however, had them stumbling upon a successful business at the hands of the equestrian buyer.

Launched in 2014, Equis Boutique started by specializing in horse boots by Kentucky Horsewear. That quickly morphed into a much larger endeavor: curating luxury tack and apparel items from European countries and introducing them to the North American buyer. Their method of delivering to the consumer is via pop-up boutiques, which provide a mobile shopping experience at top horse shows throughout the United States.

The preliminary brands they chose to kick off the business quickly grew in popularity, proving that the market was ready for Equis Boutique’s vision. Hirsch prides himself in Equis Boutique not being an ordinary tack shop, and even coined the phrase “live the experience” as the boutique’s motto.

“We never wanted to become a tack shop,” Hirsch said. “Our goals were to collaborate with select high-end brands and offer a place where a rider can come to relax, be introduced to new products and have a pleasant experience, all while at horse shows.”

By introducing new products to the market, Equis Boutique quickly became known as the go-to mobile shop for brands including Dy’on, KASK, Kentucky Horsewear, Kingsland Equestrian, Manfredi Equestrian and Parlanti.

“North America was hungry for new brands and new ideas,” Hirsch said. “With every new brand, product or line we started carrying, we found more and more demand for quality and innovation among equestrians.”

Equis Boutique was an important player in helping brands like KASK and Parlanti, both based in Italy, break into the North American market. To that end, the boutique again welcomed two new brands to the 2017 line-up.

Euro-star, one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality equestrian sportswear in Germany, and Flex-on, innovative stirrups for equestrian sports based in France, are two new brands making their debut in Wellington this winter. With new merchandise in tow, Hirsch and Couttenye made another leap into new territory. Their pop-up boutique at the 2017 Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the first-ever Equis Boutique location at a dressage event.

“We experienced such great success within the hunter/jumper community, but we knew there was an untapped customer base among dressage riders,” Hirsch said. “We are very excited to introduce the dressage industry to our approach to sales, as well as our brands.”

Embracing the fashion-forward trends spotted both in and out of the dressage show ring, Equis Boutique will carry the Manfredi Shadbelly with a customizable collar that includes options ranging from color variety to textures and prints. In addition, KASK has been widely accepted among dressage riders, thanks in part to its sponsorship of U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Steffen Peters. The helmet company blazed a trail into equestrian sport last year with a legacy of manufacturing protective headwear for downhill skiers and cyclists.

Equis Boutique is also doing its part to add a splash of color to the traditional riding apparel with a selection of breeches from Euro-star and Kingsland. Dressage riders can also indulge in comfort thanks to the boutique’s promotion of Parlanti dressage boots.

While the Equis Boutique name has become synonymous with top apparel for the rider, it also carries tack and accessories to keep any horse looking its best. From Kentucky Horsewear exercise and turnout boots, to quality dressage bridlework by Dy’on, the boutique has come full circle by dressing both horse and rider.

“We are very excited to set roots within the dressage industry and to hear from riders on what they look for in their tack and apparel choices,” Hirsch said. “Being at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival is the start of a new chapter for Equis Boutique, and it’s already an exciting one.”

Visit the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and stop by the Equis Boutique pop-up locations at the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. For more information, visit www.equisboutique.com.

 

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