Emma puts fashionable spin on traditional equestrian clothing
A CLONDALKIN woman is hoping to put a fashionable spin on traditional equestrian apparel with her new luxury clothing brand ‘Equieire Equestrian’.
Emma Keogh, from Newlands Cross, set up Equieire Equestrian just six months ago with the aim to create flattering, fashionable and functional equestrian clothing. Acknowledging a gap in the market in Ireland, Emma says that it took a long time to identify the need for the clothing brand.
“I have a background in equestrianism since I was a child, so I always had an interest in horses and everything to do with them,” said Emma. “I trained to be an instructor and moved to Kilkenny when I was 17 to train professionally.
“I always had an interest in equestrian clothes and designing them, but it took a long time to see if there was a need for it, so I only began researching the market in 2017.”
When Emma carried out her market research, she discovered that most of the equestrian clothing that was out there was traditional, such as breeches and jodhpurs.
“We found that there were a lot of new trends coming in from different countries, including athleisurewear, and people wanted to change the style of equestrian wear,” Emma explained.
“People were finding the materials quite uncomfortable in comparison to other sports clothing, and they didn’t want to wear the traditional styles anymore, so that’s where the idea for Equieire Equestrian came from.”
Emma Keogh
Photo by Caroline Keville, Ascent Media Solutions
The brand is focused specifically on designing and producing jodhpurs and breeches, with a spotlight on using more sustainable materials.
“We could have gone to market a lot quicker, but we really took a step back and looked for manufacturers who use recycled materials and more sustainable products,” said Emma.
To help launch the business, Emma sought help and guidance from the Local Enterprise Office.
“I got help from LEO through mentorship since February this year. I had the idea, but my mentor gave me the confidence, belief and guidance to put it into action. I applied for New Frontiers through LEO, which is an entrepreneur development programme.
“I finished phase one in March, and I got offered a place on phase two and that is when you decide whether you are going to give up your job and work full-time in your business, and that is what I have done since June.”
Emma has spent the last six months setting up a website for the business, as well as selling the product through social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, something she says has been very successful.
“We want to keep the business predominantly online because we want to get international sales. We have also been selling at trade show events and equestrian shows.
“We get a lot of engagement and feedback through social media, and it keeps us on track for what we are doing because even though I am a rider myself and would have a good idea, I could be biased.
“We are looking to expand operations and create jobs in Ireland as the business grows.”
Equieire Equestrian’s website is currently under development and will be up and running shortly, you can find out more about the brand and products through their social media platforms on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
