Puerto Rican fashion designer Anthony Rubio knows what it takes to keep man’s best friend happy. While belly scratches and long afternoon walks are necessities, a closet full of stylish threads will likely cause some heads to turn at the dog park.
Rubio is best known for designing outfits for the kind of four-legged models who would probably take offense to the term catwalk. He even has a book titled Canine Couture that serves as a collection of “dogs in editorial outfits.” And his latest designs were showcased at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) on Saturday (September 9), aptly titled “Women’s Wear & Canine Couture.”
Rubio has been presenting his work at NYFW since 2012 and started designing fashion for dogs when he rescued a chihuahua in 2005. He likes to remind fans that most of the dogs in his fashion shows are adopted from shelters and rescues. He refers to them as “models and not accessories.”
“We celebrate our pets and they enjoy not only wearing these creations but they love doing these shows and getting the message out that people should adopt and not shop,” Rubio told Fashion Week Online (FWO) last year.
During this year’s show, Peruvian model Luren Marquez carried a Pomeranian named Fritz onto the runway. Luren wore a strapless red dress with silver accents on the bodice. Fritz wore a turquoise tuxedo with sequined flowers and glass beading.
According to FWO, proceeds from the sales of Rubio’s canine fashion benefit animal shelters and other pet nonprofit organizations.
See Anthony Rubio and his entire collection on the runway below. His canine fashion show begins at the 2:55:00 mark.