Euro Cowboys: the good, the bad and the ugly

Everyone may be flocking to cities while farming is more automated than ever, but we still love a cowboy. They represent the rugged freedom that so few of us get on a daily basis, as most of us choose to Netflix after work instead of jumping on a bronco. While most of the sartorial elements associated with the look, like cowboy hats, boots and chaps were invented for function, they take on a decadent high-camp aesthetic when brought out of a workwear context. Telfar shut down New York Fashion Week with his take on streetwear meets saddlewear and Grand Ole Opry favorite, Dolly Parton, has been sneaking onto an increasing number of mood boards. But this isn’t just a stateside obsession.

There is a long legacy of Euro cowboys – some who have never seen the West, a ranch or maybe even a horse – that serve some of the best faux western inspiration. Equal parts imagination and fascination, these oversees interpretations have added important references to the cowboy cannon. SLEEK is giving you the roundup of spaghetti western moments from film, fashion and music:

Ninamounah

The subversive Dutch label saddled up for the aw 19 show at Amsterdam fashion week. The collection featured ultra-high cut collard leotards, chaps, oversized cowboy hats and laced-up suiting separates. The sharp cuts and imaginative construction (like the frog-shaped bag) make the collection modern, while the leatherwork and styling keep it firmly anchored in the West. And yes, Nimamounah coats with literal saddles on the back are made to be ridden.

Les Pétroleuses (1971)

The setting is 1880s, somewhere in the American Southwest, Brigitte Bardot faces off against Claudia Cardinale in a showdown over oil fields – and nothing could be more perfect. Les Pétroleuses was shot in Spain, making it a true spaghetti western. It features wonderfully historically inaccurate costuming that combines all of the corsets, ruffles and elaborate cotton undergarments of the Wild West with the glamour of 60’s European cinema, befitting of France and Italy’s leading ladies.

Vengaboys

Once again, the Dutch are taking up boots and spurs, but this time it is less fashion and a bit more psychedelics in the desert. It’s like the band looked at the cowboy in the Village People and said, “How can we make it more club?” Being a Vengaboy, there are a lot of bright colours, glitter and liberal use of patterns when it comes to the vests, hats and chaps. And like the band’s music, this one may be better in small doses.

Saint Laurent

Saint Laurent’s creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, opted for a slick cowboy for their ss 19 collections. The Brussels-born designer played off of the head-to-toe black, Johnny Cash style by incorporating westernwear suiting, complete with silver-buckle detailing. But he updated the looks with animal-print details like chiffon leopard blousing and lots of neon snakeskin. The Saint Laurent cowboy may venture more into oil tycoon or ranch owner territory, rather than cattle hand.

Western Affair

Olivia Pudelko is the London-based designer behind the cult footwear brand that is supplying celebrities, magazines and catwalks with outlandish cowboy-inspired staples. A typical Western Affair cowboy hat will be some shade of pastel or neon and dripping in colorful Mongolian sheep fur or marabou feathers. All of her items are custom-made and far from basic. Still, we don’t recommend wearing any of her cutout cowboy boots to an actual farm.

Steps and Rednex

The list would not be complete without mentioning our favourite, “boot-scooting” babies, the Brit-pop band Steps and the problematically named Swedish band Rednex. There was something in the water during the mid-to-late Nineties (maybe the impending doom of Y2K) that made bands want to fuse line dance and square dance with electronic music. While “5,6,7,8,” has been tucked away as a deep-cut for millennials, “Cotton Eye Joe” continues to haunt the set list of event DJS.