One … two … three: awwwwwww!
That’s what I said when I received these pictures.
My former client, Winfrey the Labradoodle, has happily stepped up to be Mr. Mom for this abandoned three-week old kitten. Winfrey’s person said that he snuggles up with the baby kitteh, temporarily named “Tip Toes,” and is very protective of him.
Nice work, Winfrey!
Are you ready for some extravagance? Some crystal-encrusted, fine Corinthian-leathered, feather-trimmed, triple-milled, hand crafted, mountain spring filtered extravagance?
Welcome to Pet Fashion Week.
How do I make sense of the many wonders I encountered? It was overwhelming. Let’s start with the most basic of all dog accouterments … the dog collar. That simple band of fabric or leather.
Or not:
Bam!
Collar options ran the gamut … being part raccoon, I’m drawn to all things shiny, but I tend towards these types of collars for Zeke and Sum:
I ordered two of these Mascot collars, below, for them after attending last year’s PFW. Awesome, ain’t they? (Hey, Jeff - when are we going to work together?)
I love these dog tags (right now Z&S are saddled with those boring DIY tags from PetsMart) … this company, Rockin’ Doggie, also makes some incredibly cool people jewelery:
Now, a comfy dog bed is a necessity, not a luxury. I’m not talking about one of those flat hunter green fake sheepskin pieces of crap. I mean a soft, sink-down-and-start-dreaming dog bed. The options were plentiful - so many gorgeous beds:
Ok, this bed takes the style-factor into account, but I’m not sure about comfort (and clean-ability):
These were the closest things I saw to plain, stainless steel food bowls:
La-di-da!
This was Pet FASHION Week, so I must address the fashion element. Friends, let’s just say that I didn’t understand everything I saw. Like this, for example:
Some of the stuff was uh-mazing, some was frivolous, some was creepy. I’ll refrain from pointing out which was which and let the pictures do the talking:
Finally, let’s finish up with some random stuff.
High-end dog shampoos:
(Thanks for the brownie, Lani dude!)
Fancy dog bags:
Custom art:
And some surprisingly fashion-forward dog-themed jewelery:
Whew. I’m exhausted.
But wait, there’s more! I still have one more dispatch from PFW … I was given a sample of a product I’ve seen on TV. A few of my clients have asked me about it and now I finally get to try it on Zeke and Sumner (after I put it together in “9 easy steps”). They did a demo for me and it looks like it delivers … I know you’ve seen the commercials too. Curious? Stay tuned …
Ok, I lied. Today’s post isn’t about the products. Tomorrow.
I can’t talk about Pet Fashion Week without giving props to some of the phenomenal marketing efforts at the trade show. I’m an unabashed geek when it comes to design and marketing. I get a little woozy when I see a clever, well-executed logo. Long ago, when I was working on my dog training logo, I used to go to the library and check out volume after volume of the book series, “The Best of Business Card Design,” and page through them until my head exploded. My beloved LOTL logo came to me years ago, before I even knew what a “blog” was. I knew I’d find a use for it some day.
Anyway. Back to PFW. Cool logos? There were quite a few:
How could I not be drawn to this logo? The vintage tattoo look is familiar:
(Thanks for the key chain, guys!)
This logo is an old favorite of mine. Look closely …
A company that makes “dog mannequins” was there with some artistic-looking options:
As expected, faux dogs were everywhere:
Extra credit to those folks who got creative and thought outside the dog-box with their merchandising:
Walking around the trade show floor was sensory overload for me. Many of the booths were cool enough to make me want to stop and stare. But not all. A few looked as if the color pink stopped by and vomited on them.
Pet Fashion Week? It’s actually “Pet Fashion Weekend.” Two days that walked the line between good taste and all-out frippery. I saw some amazing craftsmanship, creativity and design, as well as quite a bit of “gilding the silly.”
The fact is, everyone I met at the event was lovely, so I’ll refrain from disdain in my coverage of the event, even if I did think that the faux Rolex dog watches were a bit much. (Ok, I made that up - no one has invented a watch for dogs. Yet.)
There’s too much gossip to fit in just one post, so this is the first in a series. Today, let’s take a look at the very reason for Pet Fashion Week: the dogs. (Although, on second thought, the very reason for PFW might be at the other end of the leash.)
Enjoy.
One of you asked about the number of pocket pups in attendance last year … there’s no size requirement to get in, as I did spot these guys in the show. (And one black lab who all but disappeared in my photo):
I think that there’s some sort of mathematical equation about the size of dog relative to the amount of taffeta and crystals required per square inch. The Distributive Law of Canine Bedazzling: The smaller the dog (the greater the glitz.) Or maybe it’s just that the big guys won’t stand for tutus.
PFW coverage ain’t over yet. Stay tuned for a look at … the products!
I’m heading to NYC for “Pet Fashion Week” today. I went last year and it was insane. Like, fur coats and bathing suits for dogs insane.
Want proof?
It’s not all Swarovski dog collars and goose down bedding, though. I actually found my beloved frog and bunny dog toys at the show last year (check out the LOTL store, folks!) I have a feeling that I’m going to discover a few other goodies this year.
That is, if I can make my way between the dog strollers (!) and poodles in ass-less pants …
These little charmers stopped by my parents’ house on Sunday night:
14-week old Bernese Mountain dogs? I’m powerless, I tell you. Behold the cuteness:
We had a lovely time until I had the bright idea to let Sum meet them. He was fine for the first, oh, 30 seconds, then one of them got a little too puppyish for Sum’s delicate sensibilities and he pinned the poor guy with a “don’t mess” snarl. (The puppy “infraction” was mild and completely undeserving of the beat-down.) Sumner is a rude, awful, nasty host. That first year of his life before we got him, when he lived in a complete social vacuum, impacts us even today. Socialize your puppies, folks.
Thankfully, the pups recovered and forgave me. Not sure if they can find it in their hearts to forgive Sum, though.
