When she found the top-brand riding gear worn by show jumpers unaffordable, Jordan McCabe decided to design her own
Jordan McCabe has two passions in life: horses and fashion. A couple of years ago, the keen County Durham showjumper successfully combined the two to launch her own label – Aztec Diamond – named after her much-loved steed.
Sensing a gap in the market, she designed a range of riding gear that is seriously stylish, but still totally functional. And even in the competitive world of sports gear, it’s proving a real winner. Jordan is on course to earn her first million this year and a 50 per cent increase in sales is forecast for the first half of 2017.
“I always wanted to wear the top brands that all the leading show jumpers wore, but everything was so expensive,” said Jordan, whose business base is at the family farm in North Bitchburn, near Crook. “It got me thinking how I could create a range of clothing for women like me who wanted stylish well-made clothing without the hefty price tag?”
It was a steep learning curve, but the label was launched in 2014 and has gone from strength to strength. Jordan believes the key to her success is using social media as her shop window, creating huge worldwide demand for her products by sharing stylised photographs and engaging with her 100,000 Instagram followers.
She manages all aspects of the company, from marketing to design and product development. Her manufacturing is done throughout Europe and she regularly travels to the factories.
Since introducing fitness leggings and leisurewear, Jordan has opened up her audience to include the wider athletics market. Aztec Diamond Equestrian was also one of the first brands to introduce riding leggings and now she’s working on pre-teen and menswear ranges. “It’s important to stay ahead of the game in this industry,” she says. “Fashion never sleeps and neither do I!"
“I am my own customer and I am designing products that I would want to wear. I would never want to sell a product that I wouldn’t invest in. I’ve always believed in my designs and hoped to do well, but I never expected it to get this big so quickly.”
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