The following is an excerpt from a short conversation and interview with Sonia, the Founder and Creative Director of the Alderbaran Brand. This interview has been edited and and condensed for clairfy.
1. I understand that Istán, the majestic black steed is symbolic of so many things in your life and craft but I would like to ask what the tradition of horse riding means to you?
Sonia: I consider horse riding a tradition steeped in discipline, craft and patience. First there is the process of training the horse from young.
It is often said that there is an art to taming and training a horse. Each individual has a unique temperament and there simply is no one size fits all solution to the process of educating a horse. However, one thing is a constant and that is the amount of patience and dedication that is required each and every day into coming to understand the animal, what it wants, what it needs and how to find a mutual ground between man and creature. Just like how I see Istán as more than just an animal, the bond a trainer forms with his partner is unique and a result of compromise and tireless dedication to find common grounds.
Then of course there is the tools and equipment that is used both in training the horse and riding the horse. Leather craftsmanship has an especially important role in the tradition as it is used in every quality saddle and harness. I personally have collected saddles that mark different periods of my life: some of them are hazelnut or reddish while others are black, some are silk speckled while others are side saddles and I also own English style saddles. They come in all sorts of sizes and I love looking at the smaller saddles that my children used when they were smaller and seeing how they saddles slowly grew larger as my children became adolescents and now young adults.
Every horse has a different temperament and the way they handle with their riders is an accumulation of years of long and patient training
Each and every one of these saddles are handmade works of art, crafted from quality leather and made to measure for their riders. They’re each customized to the point that I would dare to say that there are no two saddles that are ever the same in the world. Looking at the different embellishments and details on each saddle remind me of the different times of my life, of memories with my family and they also make me wonder where they will be as they last for generations.
2. So then how does that tie into modern fashion? You said that Istán is Aldebaran but what does that actually mean?
Sonia: The art behind saddle making is strangely similar to the process of creating haute couture dresses where the needs and desires of each and every customer is taken into consideration to create a piece that becomes truly memorable and timeless. It is why I said the Istán is Aldebaran: his way of being represents the philosophy I want to share with the world, his history is the attitude I bring to every project and the equipment he wears is the heritage I aim to share in every dress I create.
I see Aldebaran as an admiration for God’s creations, from the life and nature that surrounds us to the man made art that has fascinated humanity through the Renaissance, Neoclassical and Baroque ages. It shares Istán’s enthusiasm for life, an emotion that I believe is the true driving force that moves the world.
3. I understand the ties between Istán and you now but what about the location of your recent photoshoot, what brings it all together?
Sonia: Ever since I was young I had so many feelings for those stables that words cannot accurately express. This photoshoot was done in the Royal Stables of Córdoba, its a historical and emblematic landmark in my city thats inspired me throughout my life.
When you walk into those buildings, theres this air, its somber and spacious yet always bright and the ways that the different buildings are arranged to form this long edge always caught my gaze.
These stables are extremely important to horse riding here in Spain too since this is where King Felipe II chose and bred the famous Cordoba horses. At the time there were hundreds of Andalusian and Arabian horses gathered from across the world and they were cared for so that they could produce the best horses. Of course it is understood that they also saw their fair share of work as carriage horses but they were also used for military purposes.
I believe this was during the time when the Spanish empire was known as the empire where the sun never set. I imagine it was truly a sight to see: the famous writer Federico García Lorca called it a cathedral for horses.
It’s a shame that there was fire that broke out in 1734 that almost completely destroyed the building except for its exterior and interior façades. Of course it was repaired and is beautiful today but sometimes I cannot help but imagine what it was like at the time.
When I decided that I wanted to have Istán as an important part of this campaign, I knew that I needed to feature these stables. I don’t think there is a better place where I can showcase my personal heritage, tradition, love for craft and quality and tie it all together with Istán any better.
Interviewer: Thank you for your time today Sonia, we look forward to seeing more of your collections and hearing more about your world.
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