AW25 DARK HORSE
MOOD
A dark horse approaches
In a whirl of chilly wind blowing from the past.
Outnumbered, outcast,
He wears a coat made of defiance.
Have you taken what doesn’t belong?
Have you forgotten the people?
The dark horse, the rider, the outlaw.
He has not.
He’s here.
He’s come for you.
The system, the regime, the unlawful laws -
They might never fall
But riddle me this:
When the darkness swallows all
Whose tales will be sung
In the ballads of the people?
Shrouded in secrets,
All that will remain
Is a blood-red rose made of thorns.
ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Titled “DARK HORSE”, the AW25 collection is a homage to challenging inhumane systems, protecting people and fighting for your values. Inspired by the Hungarian folklore figure of the ‘betyár’ bandits, the collection takes its thematic and visual cues from the outlawed rebels of the 18th and 19th centuries. Motifs evocative of the tack and trappings of the horse-riding figures run through the collection, with silhouettes and details echoing their legendary attires. The dark colours, burgundies, deep blues and burning yellows mirror the wild, justice-seeking passion of the outlaws, punctuated by reds recalling one of the most revered betyárs, Sándor Rózsa, who shares his name with the flower made of thorns: the rose.
Dora Zsigmond shares her love of horses with the betyár rebels, having taken up horseback riding at the age of 6. After a long break, reconnecting with horses helped Dora to find her bearings in the destabilised world of today, grounding her in the presence through this ancient bond with the land, with her ancestors.
Vibrantly dark and filled with references, DARK HORSE is ZSIGMOND’s most emotional collection to date.
BETYÁR
The Hungarian ‘betyár’ bandits were originally shepherds, horse wranglers, cattle, swine or other animal herders, whose burning fervour for justice drove them to become rebels against the regime. These outlaws had a legendarily close bond with horses, the two always appearing together in one foreboding form. They evaded capture by hiding in places where no one else dared to enter: in eerie forests and unforgiving marshlands or among dense, cutting reeds. To authorities, they were criminals. To common people, they were audacious figures often revered as heroes for their acts of generosity and defiance of unjust systems.
Photography:
Born and raised in the village of Alap, Zsolt Szopori shares not only childhood memories with Dora Zsigmond but a love of equestrianism, as well. A modern betyár, Zsolt’s kind and giving nature unfolds in his caretaking of horses: the 4-year-old Dáma pictured here was born in his home, which they share with her matriarch in a close bond.
PRINTS
The prints in “DARK HORSE” pay tribute to the culture of the betyár. Motifs depict the landscape where these defiant bandits lived along with their revered horses. Other patterns reference the name of the most prominent figure Sándor Rózsa: wild petals folding in on themselves surrounded by thorns.
The prints were designed by Hungarian artist and tattooist Aron Dimen, and screen-printed onto the garments by hand in an independent workshop in Budapest.
CREDITS
photography: Péter Lestár
creative concept: Dóra Zsigmond
models: Balázs at Icon I Álmos at Icon I Ákos at Icon I Bianka Schurina I Leo I Péter Markó I Tamás Péch I Gábor Fehérvári I Zsolt Szopori
dog: Lutz the Blue Whippet
horse: 'Muki' Zafír
hair: Andris Bálint I YiCheng Ji I Attila Fenyvesi
makeup: Bori Illényi-Házi
silver jewelry: Ádám Menyhért
vegetation & set design: György Zsigmond _ Finecut
production assistants: Kitti Szuhai I Eszter Galamb I Györgyné Zsigmond
creative writing: Krisztina Tar
graphic design: Dóra Zsigmond
