Petlife decided to come to the bottom of this whole animal trend thing and interview some seriously fashionable people – i.e. designers – on their pets. The results? While trends may have nothing to do with why these designers got their pets, these four-legged creatures seem to have made their mark on the fashion scene.
It all started with my sister’s obsession for that Boston Terrier/French Bulldog in the arms of Maggie Gyllenhaal for a MiuMiu ad. She kept asking for it as a gift for her birthday. Since those dogs were expensive, we ended up getting a Sharpei in Cartimar. Turns out she had a defect (mistake no.1), and had to be returned after a few days of bonding. We couldn’t forget her and decided to get another one in exchange. Since there were no more sharpies, my sister settled for a Pomeranian that turned out to be a fake (mistake no.2). I could not forget the Sharpei and knew that we wouldn’t be able to afford getting another one. One day, I decided to buy Buy & Sell while waiting in traffic. To our surprise, there was an ad that was selling one at only 8,500 rush (the going rate is P12,000-P18,000). She was a steal so I decided to check her out at night (mistake no. 3). Ended up returning her, because it turns out she was a semi-lemon and the vet told me that my pup would not be recognized by the dog community! Because her shots were not from a licensed vet but done only by the breeder, her tail was short and crooked, she had extra claws that should’ve been removed when she was born, and her skin was bad (but all sharpies have skin problems). In the end though, I couldn’t stop thinking of Rocco, so I went back and got her. Her problems are actually just external and treatable. Her coat has improved, the extra inverted claws assure me that I will be able to identify her in case she gets lost or stolen, and the crooked tail makes me laugh.
What qualities do you and your pet share?
Well, I’d like to think that we both pretty much have a happy disposition but we can be pasaway din at times – when we really want something we really go for it. But when we do get into trouble or make mistakes, we both immediately apologize. On her part, as soon as she hears a reprimand, she starts to cringe and lower her face but at the same time starts moving closer to cuddle up to me. And we both have short attention spans and love to eat. We’re the no-frills type of girl, low maintenance.
Have you ever dressed up your pet in costume?
Not yet…She’ll be spending her first Halloween this October, so we’re very excited. I already had three outfits made by a friend who designs dog clothes.
But I do let her wear a necklace every day and make her outfits when we have guests over or when we go out. She won Most Stylish Pup at the PetOne Puppy Luv Affair in Rockwell recently. I dressed her up in a simple bamboo-printed polo with gold button detail from Samson & Mom and her usual necklaces, and then suddenly the host appears and names it the Boracay look and awards Rocco.
I also let her lounge around in her red terry cloth bathrobe right after she bathes. She also looks very cool in it. She just needs a cigar and an old library as her backdrop for a masterpiece collection show-inspired look. Have you ever designed anything for your pet?
I just make her simple strands of very colorful or big beads like the dyed kukui nuts I made her wear for this shot. They stay close to her neck and have no sharp edges, of course, or extra dangling details that the other dog can use to take advantage of during tussles.
If your pet were a client, what kind of outfit would you make for him/her?
I’d make her necklaces that are bold-colored and stark with clean lines – basically a very graphic statement.
Best thing you love about your pet.
Her 10-second short broken tail and butt-wiggle that greets me every time I enter the house takes out any negative or tired feelings I have. It’s even made me look forward to leaving and coming home to her wrinkly face that just screams "Love me or leave me, but I won’t tell you I need you" look. Then there’s her loud snores during her power naps that has already prepared me how to live with someone with that problem in the future. She has brightened up everyone’s day here in the house, the customers, guests, down to the family help and drivers. She’s calm, confident and knows what she’s got but doesn’t flaunt it, always the star at gatherings. She’s quiet – not like those yappy performer-type dogs – and intelligent too. I feel so unconditionally loved by Rocco.
My sister-in-law Mons Tantoco gave Vinterberg to us – actually to my mom-in-law. But the first time my husband met him, Vinter fell asleep on his stomach. He’s been with us ever since.
My husband Erwin named him after the Danish director Tomas Vinterberg who co-founded the Dogme 95 Movement with Lars Von Trier and two other directors. The plan was to get three more dogs and name them after each director. Dogme 95, get it? He’s a Jack Russel Terrier and he’s almost a year old.
What qualities do you and your pet share?
He’s quite paranoid.
Have you ever dressed up your pet in costume?
No, although his girlfriend Sushi gave him a hat with a crown. He didn’t like it but he played along. We’ve never done that again.
Ever designed anything for your pet?
No, he ain’t into bondage and "art."
If your pet were a client, what kind of outfit would you make for him?
Nothing too weird, I guess.
Best thing you love about your pet.
Everything! He has his own mind and we both see him as if he were our first child.
She was a gift to us from the mom of my business partner Bobby Carlos. She was a blessing since we were planning to get a dog anyway – all because of my sister. My sister had just arrived from LA and she had brought her dog, Jaqueline, a two-year-old Dachshund. She was so adorable and we got so attached. So Marni – her full name is Marianna Isabelle – is a peach-colored Toy Poodle. She’s almost eight months old. I can’t wait to see those pompoms so I can walk her around Greenbelt. Hahaha!
What qualities do you and your pet share?
We are not early birds. We like getting up late.
Have you ever dressed up your pet in costume?
I’m planning to on her 1st birthday party in September.
Ever designed anything for your pet?
Yes, tons of embellished dog collars and beaded barrettes.
If your pet were a client, what kind of outfit would you make for her?
Tons of little black dresses.
Best thing you love about your pet.
She is so sweet. I love how, every time I come home, she’d be jumping up and down like crazy just to get my attention. And she’s a quiet dog. She doesn’t bark at strangers, so she’s not the type to watch over the apartment. The only time she barks is when we play in the apartment. If she could speak she would say, "I’m not a guard dog, sweetie."
I have always been a lover of Dachshunds because the breed is reflective of some of my family’s general qualities – stout-hearted, playful, and courageous to the point of rash. So when my Dachshund died in 1996 because of liver failure, I knew that if ever I recovered, I’d surely get another black one with tan eyebrows and paws. Only a Dachshund would blend in perfectly with my parents and younger brothers. But even before I could decide on whether or not I was ready for a new puppy, I saw one in a box that was certainly too small for its hotdog body outside the shower room on the day before my birthday in 2003!
What qualities do you and your pet share?
Reina and I love to eat good food though I try to make sure she stays on dog food for health reasons. When she is able to snatch any sort of goody from my brother, Zig, who loves to eat in his bedroom, I can see how much satisfaction she gets. The funny thing is that Reina chooses to believe that my brothers’ socks and underwear are food too.
Have you ever dressed up your pet in costume?
Not yet, but surely, this Halloween. It will be the first time for her to socialize with others. I’ve always been afraid that she’d catch fleas from other dogs but I guess she would have to see the larger world. She’ll be Material Girl, Madonna.
Ever designed anything for your pet?
Most definitely! I made a beautiful neckpiece made of gemstones and Swarovski crystals to serve as Reina’s collar but the intricate wiring caught her fancy. I really don’t know how she managed to pull it off her neck and started chewing on the candy-colored material.
If your pet were a client, what kind of accessory would you make for her?
I’d create red coral and crystal cuffs for all her fours, with a matching oversized neckpiece. No earrings, please. Her ear skin is so thin that if I pierced it, and put chandeliers, she might fixate on them and eventually rip her skin.
Best thing you love about your pet.
If Reina was to win any special award, it would certainly be Most Confident. Whenever I’d bring her to our body-length mirror, and check if she recognized herself, I realized that she actually believed she was a person. It was practically effortless to train her that number one and number two should remain in the newspaper located in our bathroom. When she’d make a mistake (which, for Reina, would mean nibbling on the bed posts, and chewing on my brothers’ socks amd underwear), she’d immediately be aware of her fault and retreat to a corner and give me that poor-puppy-says-I’m-sorry stare, and she’d know she was already forgiven.
I found my cat in the garden of my first shop exactly a month after I moved in. She was dirty so gave her a bath almost every day for a week, which she clearly didn’t enjoy – but she had no choice. I soon named this blue-eyed platinum blond feline Fifi.
Have you ever dressed up your pet in costume?
The moment I covered her with fabric I knew she preferred wearing her own fabulous white fur. After that, my hopes of her donning my latest collection, in down-sized versions, died.
Ever designed anything for your pet?
(See previous answer.)
If your pet were a client, what kind of outfit would you make for her?
In case she changes her mind, I’d make a sleek jersey dress with tiny folded details on the bodice that would be purrrfectly comfy.
Best thing you love about your pet.
I love her because she takes way all my stress and she has a charming way of making even my parents and brother (who dislike cats) love her.