Ralph Lauren, who was born in an ordinary family, was shocked by the battle he saw when he first participated in the polo match. "Those silverware, those leather, those horses, those blondes wearing big hats, that was the upper class I was not familiar with."

Before creating the American dream with fashion, polo planted the seeds in his mind to pursue the ideal life. So, at the end of the 1960s, he took 50,000 dollars borrowed from the bank and began a career based on POLO shirts, and the silhouette of polo sports was embroidered on the chest of a simple polo shirt.

"POLO shirt has never been just a dress, but a way of life", as Ralph Lauren said, in the 1974 version of the movie "The Great Gatsby", the color POLO shirt he designed, together with the mansion, beauty and beauty in the film constitute a complete narrative of American luxury, consistent for more than half a century.

As Oprah Winfrey said in her speech celebrating the brand's 50th anniversary in 2019, "For 50 years, the clothes you designed have been our dreams." In his view, the secret of this dream to cross history and continue to emit light and charm lies in the modern sense and relaxed sense of POLO shirt, "It is a classic, you can wear now, you can wear at any time."

Although the trends of the '70s and' 80s were not friendly to those with old-money, understated luxury fashion ideas, a group of American designers, such as Donna Karan and Norma Kamali, continued to experiment with combining sports fabrics with the language of high fashion.

At the same time, Karl Lagerfeld's arrival at Chanel also became an opportunity for the high fashion industry to reverse the wind - in the 1990s, Lagerfeld specially developed a sports collection for the brand, and the theme design related to track and field, surfing and skiing also appeared in several seasons of ready-to-wear shows.

In 1997, Hermes luxury sportswear also ushered in a turning point in equestrian creativity, when Martin Margiela, who was no. 2 in concept creativity, became the creative director of the brand. Surprisingly, Margiela restrained the radical experimental tendency in personal brands. Instead, Hermes's craft heritage explores the limits of everyday luxury, extending from the leather golf zipper jacket of the archives to adjustable coats, equestrian trousers and detachable saddle bags with waist embellishments, and adding elite dress elements such as flight wear and nautical wear; Later, Jean Paul Gaultier added a strong sexy style to the equestrian style, from the cavalry training ground of the Military Academy in Paris in his first show to the dressage horse team in his farewell show, the models in equestrian element suits and accessories walk strongly, and the leather on the body is extremely bright and tight, like a second skin.

Of course, the contribution of Christophe Lemaire and the current artistic director of womenswear, Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski, cannot be overlooked. Lemaire, who moved from Lacoste to Hermes in 2011, has injected a new nomadic style into the brand, such as falconry and archery, which are more elite and mysterious than equestrian sports, but the styling is more relaxed.

Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski, now in charge of Hermes women's wear, has a career track that traces the growing strength of old money in the 21st century.

Since graduating from Antwerp's prestigious fashion Institute, Vanhee-Cybulski has worked at Martin Margiela, Phoebe Philo's Celine, and as design director of The Row, in other words, entering the 21st century, this quiet, low-key, high-quality fashion aesthetic, In the industry to weave a stable network, despite the trend changes, its style is still tough and stable.

This network also includes the long-awaited return of Clare Waight Keller, who is famous for her outstanding performance in the Chloe period, especially the combination of British casual and French sophisticated fashion design, but less known is that she has laid the foundation for "good taste". It is her many years of work experience in Ralph Lauren and Pringle of Scotland, not to mention the latter involved in the field of cashmere in the 19th century, is the clothing sponsor of many golf stars, but also the owner of the Royal warrant of the Queen of Britain, so in her design also naturally flows the trace of luxury sports.

And another similarly high-profile British female designer, the comeback of Phoebe Philo, has also responded to the way of elite sports dress during the Celine period, whether it is the leather striped matching suit in the 2012 autumn/Winter collection, The spring/summer 2014 collection of POLO shirts, knitted skirts and mesh see-through materials inspired by the Paris Tennis Club are all redefining the expression of these special sports in fashion design in a stylized form.

Stella McCartney, Philo's best friend and fellow Saint Martin's graduate, knows this too. In the latest Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, McCartney directly moved the show to the horse farm built in the 18th century, and she re-introduced the hunting dress and British equestrian dress code in the design, hussar jackets, short vests, complete sports shapes and oversized knits, using dark brown, royal blue, black and other elegant and stable colors. It is also embellished with bold red lines and paired with refined modified riding boots - still sustainable and made of vegan leather, but with a superior texture.

When it comes to horsemanship, it is natural not to mention Burberry.

When Creative Director Daniel Lee took over, he immediately brought a new Knight logo, giving a new life to the logo, which was born around 1901.

The knights on horseback marched forward with spears in their hands, and the word "Prorsum" on the flag was Latin for "advance."

In the Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, this fresh brushwork pattern was enlarged over an asymmetrical white dress with soughy leather riding boots to create a contemporary look of a horsewoman.

It is worth mentioning that the model's new Knight bag is also in the same vein: the equestrian style clasp inspired by the equestrian logo not only reflects the brand's collection elements, but also represents excellent functionality, fixing the clasp in different positions, and the shape of the bag will change accordingly.

Maximilian Davis, a rising creative star among the younger generation, also seems to be inspired by the old Money style, which is certainly the most appropriate style for the historic Ferragamo.

In this Italian luxury "dish" cooked by Davis, the fencing element is a key ingredient to add flavor, from the pure and delicate cream white to the cocoon silhouette, the practicality of the fencing suit is retained, the details are added modern treatment, but not overwhelming, only the wearer can feel the subtlety of the design.

"They may be the most drab styles on the planet, but I wanted to bring some surprising creativity to them."

Vanhee-Cybulski's statement backstage at the Hermes Fall/Winter 2023 collection was sincere and powerful. There's no denying that luxury sportswear has been played out countless times, but quality makers like her want to take it a step further. The sundresses, knitted in gold and silver thread, show a wavy texture, and the noble amaranthin, coppery yellow and Amret brown are common on the racetrack but not used specifically for fashion. Stirrup buckles and metal chains are the finishing touches on the quilted jacket, while satin riding caps and inverted horseshoe-shaped heels echo the brand's foundation.

"I want to maintain the tradition of dressing, but find the right balance between pattern and fabric," Vanhee-Cybulski's simple words may be the essence of luxury sportswear enduring throughout history - "balance", which is the secret of lasting style.