The show jumper, model, and Kering heiress talks to Harper’s Bazaar about equestrian style and expressing herself though clothing.
Mathilde Pinault is a quintessential It Girl. The French show jumper and model has Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault as a father and actor Salma Hayek as as stepmother. She has walked runways and starred in campaigns for top fashion houses, she is a student at the prestigious Emlyon Business School in Lyon, and she now serves as an ambassador for Parisian equestrian clothing brand Dada Sport.
Yet, despite all this, Mathilde’s favorite place to be is out in nature, on her horse.As the equestrian trend hit the high-fashion world this year and is only set to grow this holiday season , the 23-year-old sat down with Harper’s Bazaar to chat all things horses and style. Now, you may want to assume that being born into a fashion empire means Mathilde favors maximalism and labels, but really—perhaps because of her upbringing—she’s all about minimalism and comfort.“Since I started competing when I was 12 or 13, I kind of struggled to find aesthetic equestrian clothes and pieces that were fashionable—in a simple way, because I’m pretty simple with my style—but also technical and comfortable,” she says.That is why she was drawn to collaborate with Parisian label Dada Sport, which offers elevated, preppy designs made for the elegant but down-to-earth horse girl—like Mathilde herself.Equestrian sports have always been tied to fashion—there is the regal elegance of show jumping and dressage uniforms, and the fun, scrappy, Western attire of barrel racing and cutting. But Mathilde notes that when she began riding, few equestrian clothes embraced both style and practicality. Now that more attention is being given to women’s sports and their intersection with style, she says, “We’ve really come to a place where you can align fashion and sportswear at a very high level.”Of course, the equestrian fad—rodeowear, cowboy-core, horse girl-chic, or whatever you want to call it—has become so popular that fashion girls, musicians, and non-equestrians everywhere are wearing it on the streets, stages, and red carpets. Just look at Beyoncé’s Western-themed Cowboy Carter album and subsequent style streak, or Bella Hadid’s rodeo wardrobe , or the comeback of the cowboy hat among celebrities.At the same time, an infusion of sportiness has hit the fashion world, with jerseys and sneakers having their biggest moment yet, and athleisure staples making their way into the street style sphere.“I love a long sweater—like this Jiminy sweater that’s really comfortable and beautiful and warm. I love to wear one with, like, baggy jeans and a little pair of heels,” Mathilde says, taking me through her Dada favorites. “It’s got this cozy thing, and you can also wear it when you ride.”As for her everyday Parisian wardrobe? A long coat—like the Delgado—she says, “For me it’s very elegant, and also necessary because I’m very tall, and it doesn’t necessary look like an equestrian piece.” Other recent obsessions include long skirts, backless dresses, fancy mini bags, and cowboy hats. A good mix between the masculine and the feminine is also key to good equestrian style. “Sometimes I’m moody and want something pretty dark and masculine and oversize,” Mathilde says. “Right now I’m feeling feminine, so I’m wearing a skirt with equestrian boots. I like to have fun, and I love that fashion now means I can step out in men’s clothes or in something very sexy and not be looked at as, like, a weird human.”Her ultimate style icon is Hailey Bieber: “I like that oversize blazer, vintage-cozy aesthetic.” Mathilde is also on board with Bieber’s natural, glossy beauty look. She says of her own routine, “I love makeup and I’m very into skincare . I try to use natural products and I always carry a couple with me when I’m with my horses at the stable.”Mathilde explains that she grew up feeling very insecure about her height, and it was clothing and horses that lifted her confidence.“It’s one thing to feel confident on the streets or when you go out with your friends, but it’s really something else to believe in yourself when you’re in a competition, with your horses. So many people are watching, and even though you shouldn’t care what you look like in the ring, it’s the best feeling when you feel already confident in your clothes, you feel elegant, you feel comfortable, and so you only have to focus on the horse, on your skills,” she says.Another source of reassurance? Her family support system. When I ask Mathilde what is the best advice stepmom Salma Hayek has ever given her, she says, “Like any parent, she’s always taught me to be comfortable and confident as a woman in whatever situation I’m in or in the clothes I’m wearing. It’s not a particular tip, but a feeling.”
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