New York Pet Fashion Week Faux Paw-less

Update: Couture, bling, and fawning pet parents shopped and dropped at New York’s 4th Annual Pet Fashion Week after visiting approximately 70 vendors gathered in Chelsea for the luxurious pet clothing that dominated the show. Last weekend, August 22 and 23, clothes, accessories, furniture, food, and even perfume were showcased for buyers filling orders for shop owners eager to capture customers’ imagination.  No fur but faux in sight, and a choice for those who do leather and those who don’t.

According to ZT Pet News correspondent Brian Stillman “Cece Kent was driven to create her series of dog carriers after deciding that, while often cute, the bags she found at pet stores weren’t what she’d take to a nice restaurant.”

“If you went out, you’d want to take a nice purse,” she explained. “So why wouldn’t you want to take a nice carrier with your dog?”

Brian reported, “Kent designed her bags to look like what you might find at high-end department stores like Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, or Saks Fifth Avenue. Many of them are made of pebble grain leather from Europe, and they often feature an assortment shiny buckles, clasps, and chains.”

As related in a previous post on the growing popularity of organic pet products, health and preventive care issues continue to drive this market. As with many businesses, personal experience of a missing solution reveals a gap in the marketplace and an opportunity for the entrepreneur.

“Personal experience inspired Charisa Antigua to launch Oscar Newman’s Cocotherapy line of products. Her dog, Violet, suffered from skin-irritating allergies; she often scratched herself until she bled. Antigua said that a vet put Violet on Prednisone, but the dog didn’t react well to it.

“So we went to a holistic vet and she set up a natural regimen for Violet with plants and coconut oil,” she said. “Within five, six weeks, she was completely itch and scratch free. Her skin and hair are very healthy, and we just love what it did for her.”

Antigua baked up a new line of coconut-oil based dog treats made from organic coconuts.

There were lavender suede coats with faux fur and matching dress (read blinged-up) collar and leash from Scarlett Dream Coats, and beaded or not knit sweaters with hand-stitched trim at Oscar Newman, collars stamped with nature’s patterns mixed with a modern metallic finish made of PVC for those who eschew leather products at Fetchers and Fighters.

There were even “manly man” dog accessories with chucky metal ornaments and polished stones by Northern Moods produced in Europe.

Something for everyone…the NY Daily News has a 7 photo gallery spread showing what the Fashion Institute of Technology cooked up for the show this year! Read more here.

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Tagged as: Fashion Institute of Technology, Pet Fashion Week