Fashion After Bark – A Runway Show For Dogs!
For starters, I have to say – what a brilliant name for a dog’s clothing runway show!
Fashion After Bark was presented by The Center for Professional Studies in association with the Advertising & Marketing Communications Spring 2011 Special Events Marketing Class at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
The designers participated in the annual event to showcase their creations and skills learned as part of the Pet Product Design and Marketing certificate program.
This year’s theme, Fashion After Bark, evoked a distinguished air, inviting the audience to join in on the classy and upscale feel of the evening.
While the designer’s pet fashions and designs were wonderful – the true stars of the show were the models. The dog – models ranged from small, lapdogs to a (very) large Siberian Husky named ‘Cosmo’. One thing they all had in common (besides being dressed to the nines) was how cute they were as they strutted their paws on the runway.
Read and See More About Fashion After Bark After The Jump…My friend, Irene Liu, had invited me and she was also one of the designers. Currently, Irene is in the Pet Product Design and Marketing Program at F.I.T. Earlier this year, she launched Liu Liu, a collection of dog clothing and accessories inspired by fashion and trends for people. Liu Liu is dedicated to creating stylish, well made and functional products for dogs and their owners.
Me and Irene!
Fern Mallis attended the show and we took this photo together – unfortunately, my camera was on some strange setting!*:( I think it’s kind of funny that I am basically in the same exact pose in both photos! I think I need to work on my camera moves – spice it up a little!
Me and the fabulous Fern Mallis
The dogs were so cute on the runway!!!! I was really impressed by how well they walked the stage given the music, lights, audience, etc…
These dogs seemed confident in their outfits! The designers did an amazing job as well and I look forward to doing more in-depth profiles in the future!
In the meantime, enjoy some of the photos from the show:
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Gallery 2
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Gallery 3
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After The Show:
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Designers included Keith Sanna, Wanda Jaller, Jessica Linder, Dawn Deisler, Abby Kass, Lindsey McGraw, Lauren Kmiotek, Susan Linton, and Lisa M. Barnes.
Keith Sanna is the creator of Luxury Pets, a furnishings, accessories, and apparel pet design house that launched in September of 2011. The brand has quickly become one of the fastest growing pet companies in the Unites States. Luxury Pets provides top quality eco-friendly materials, in functional, stylish designs. Keith Sanna also plans on launching two more companies in the near future, providing pet owners with more eco-friendly options. He is currently enrolled in F.I.T.’s Pet Design Program.
Wanda Jaller is the creator of Naughty Pets, Inc. Her goal is to provide pet owners exclusive products to both simplify their lives and pamper their pets, all while adding an element of sophistication.
Jessica Linder owns the pet fashion line, Maison de Chien Couture. Jessica started the couture line because she could never find clothes for her dog Toby that matched her style. She describes Maison de Chien Couture as “classic, luxurious, and fashionable.”
Dawn Deisler has been in the fashion industry for the last twenty years, working as a designer for companies such as Ann Taylor, Talbots, and Jones NY. She became frustrated with the lack of fashionable attire for her dog Chappy, so she decided to start her own line. Her designs are fashionable and functional, incorporating contemporary trends. Her ultimate goal is to start a dog apparel and accessories line for the luxury market, with all the profits being donated to animal shelters and cancer research.
Abby Kass is a New York City public school teacher by day and a pet designer by night. Abbey’s dream was to create a company that made travel souvenirs for pets. In February, Abby Kass launched her company, Les Pets en Voyage with souvenirs for cats and dogs.
Lindsey McGraw plans to launch her apparel business, American dog Apparel, in Spring 2012. She is currently enrolled in course in F.I.T.
Lauren Kmiotek is an avid dog lover who hopes to one day design pet apparel for her career.
Susan Linton is a self proclaimed “dog-lover” who specializes in needle are skills. She plans to incorporate these skills into a pet apparel line.
Lisa M. Barnes founded LMB designs to create wearable works of art for people and their pets. In August of 2010, she launched her eco-friendly pet apparel line, Turtlebacks. Her products are all hand made and support fair trade practices. The Turtleback signature sweater was selected to travel the world with Pet Fashion Week.