For Spring 2027, BODE turns towards the American rodeo, particularily founder Emily Bode Aujla’s personal connection to horses for “Rodeo Bodeo.”
Rooted in equestrian culture, competition and Americana, the collection follows Checkers, a spotted Pony of the Americas who competed as a barrel racer before retiring to Hat Creek Stables outside Atlanta, where Bode Aujla learned to ride. Blind in one eye and distinguished by stripes across his hooves, mane and tail, Checkers became an important part of the designer’s childhood and serves as the collection’s central inspiration.
That personal history provided the starting point for a collection that traces the relationship between horses, riders and American culture. Barrel racing, in particular, takes centre stage. The women’s rodeo event sees horse and rider race around three barrels in a tight cloverleaf pattern at full speed, with the entire course often completed in roughly 15 seconds. Its history reaches back to early champion cowgirls including Bonnie McCarroll and Vera McGinnis, who competed in the 1910s.
“Rodeo Bodeo” expands that history beyond the arena. The Spring 2027 collection draws from the clothing worn at early rodeos in the 1900s and 1920s, equestrian competitions and the small-town fairs and 4-H events that have long formed part of American rural life.
The collection also looks further back to the era of the Texas cattle drives between 1867 and 1885, when cowboys including Jules Verne Allen and Oliver Loving helped establish the enduring image of the American cowboy while driving longhorn cattle north toward Montana. For BODE, however, the collection is less about recreating a particular period than exploring the layers of history surrounding horses and the people who ride them.
References to equestrian shows sit alongside rodeo clothing and Americana, creating a wardrobe that reflects the intersection of sport, work and community.
Browse the full collection below.
