What with flat boots, preppy blazers, and jodhpurs, equestriennes are having a moment on the runway. This season, designers took the theme further with horse harnesses - except for humans. Stretching limits and breaking boundaries are an integral part of fashion, but it seems dubious that a cheap stable item for animals would translate to haute couture on catwalk models. However, the restrictive gear was skilfully reinterpreted into the language of high fashion (by none other than Jean Paul Gaultier and Alber Elbaz, of course). From the complex contraptions at Rag & Bone to the garter-like straps at VPL, harnesses had a space-age sleekness that meshed with the minimalism on the runways. Some looks, admittedly, would be difficult to imagine wearing on a casual basis. While the crisscrossed strips of leather at Hermès were perfectly functional as belts and fasteners, when coiled around the neck, they were eerily reminiscent of an executioner's noose. All the same, it was an interesting proposition, but it remains to be seen whether it will lend itself to reality.