My brand, Wild Angels, sits at the intersection of my two core passions: riding and fashion. Through this work, I aim to address a clear gap in the equestrian apparel market for feminine, expressive, and design forward performance wear. While equestrian clothing has traditionally prioritized function and heritage, it has left limited room for individuality, print, and modern femininity. My goal is to explore how high performance equestrian apparel can support both athletic demands and personal expression, allowing riders to feel confident, original, and authentically represented without compromising technical needs.

This vision was shaped through my internship at LoveShackFancy, where I observed how print driven femininity was successfully integrated across multiple athletic and lifestyle categories. Notably, this approach was absent from equestrian wear, despite a strong consumer base of women seeking beauty, identity, and emotional connection through what they wear. The idea was further developed through my work as a founder in an entrepreneurship program, where I created a fifteen week business plan focused on launching and positioning an equestrian apparel brand within a highly traditional market. These experiences highlighted both the creative opportunity and the resistance new design languages often face in conservative sportswear spaces.

Alongside Wild Angels, I founded Rescue Runway, a nonprofit initiative that merges fashion design with animal welfare advocacy. Originating from my Virginia Tech Homecoming platform, Rescue Runway began with the creation of customized Adopt Me vests, bandanas, and accessories for shelter animals, designed to increase visibility and adoption interest. This work culminated in the university’s first Adoption Fashion Show, where foster dogs walked a runway to connect with potential adopters. As the initiative evolved, it expanded into an intergenerational, project based model that brings creative making into schools and community spaces. Through this work, I witnessed how fashion can become a tool for purpose, confidence, and connection. This experience shaped my understanding of how brands can extend beyond commerce and operate as platforms for meaningful social impact.

This thesis will explore three interconnected areas of research: the integration of print design within a traditionally conservative equestrian market, the development of a fashion brand model that meaningfully incorporates nonprofit impact, and the role of modern femininity in performance sportswear. Through material research, print placement studies, and wearer focused testing, I will investigate how printed textiles can be applied to equestrian garments while maintaining durability, comfort, and performance. Particular emphasis will be placed on fabric selection, print scale, and placement in relation to movement, wear points, and riding mechanics.

In parallel, this research will examine how a fashion brand can sustainably support a nonprofit initiative through its design, production, and branding strategies. By analyzing existing social impact business models and applying them within the context of equestrian apparel, I aim to propose a framework in which commercial success and community engagement reinforce one another rather than compete.

The final collection will serve as a physical embodiment of this research, translating material experimentation, print development, and brand strategy into a cohesive body of work. The collection will reflect the Wild Angels identity while demonstrating how tradition driven markets can evolve to embrace modern femininity, expressive design, and social responsibility. By combining design experimentation with market analysis and community based research, this thesis proposes a new approach to equestrian apparel that respects the sport’s heritage while expanding its visual identity and cultural relevance.