The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
NYC going to the dogs, and you can too
February is undoubtedly a big month for dogs.
Aside from the recent Puppy Bowl phenomenon and the legendary Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, there is another event: the New York Pet Fashion Show, presented by TopiClean.
Now in its eleventh year, this show will take place from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday in the Penn Top Ballroom on the 18th Floor of Hotel Pennsylvania in midtown Manhattan.
Each year, about 300 dogs come, dressed according to the theme. Past themes have included “The Great Gatsby Dog,” “Marie Antoinette Kings and Queens,” and a “Venetian Mask Pawty.” This year’s theme is somewhat groovier: “A Tribute to the 60’s & 70’s in Fashion, Music, & Attitude!”
Like the Westminster, this event will have its own “Best in Show” winner. Also, there will be a lifetime achievement award given to Bocker, a Labradoodle and one of three living original “celebripups” who has achieved much not only as an actor and model, but also as a therapy dog for children.
Bocker is battling cancer, but that won’t stop him from attending this event, which consists of three runway shows, including one called “Rescue Revolution,” that features dogs who either have been adopted, or are available for adoption.
The second runway show will feature the designers themselves, decked out in their own handiwork. The real competition arrives with the third runway show, in which the costumed dogs battle it out for prestige and prize money.
People can costume their own dog, or leave that task to a bona fide professional, such as Ada Nieves, a pet fashion designer who has appeared on “David Letterman” and “Anderson Cooper,” among other prominent TV shows. Her clients have ranged in size from a 2-inch hamster to a 670 pound pig.
Nieves, a co-chairwoman and creative director of the show, is the first certified pet fashion designer to come from the Fashion Institute of Technology, if not the whole world.
Each year, she helps decide on the show’s particular theme and also makes sure that all models, be they two-legged or fourlegged, are ready for runway action.
When it comes to dressing dogs, the primary variable is size.
“The pet fashion world is strong in the small breeds,” says Nieves.
That’s not to say that the big dogs have been excluded entirely. An Alaskan Malamute, which is a rather large breed, has enjoyed fashion success, as well as a Leonberger, which is a breed from Germany that can weigh as much as a fullgrown man.
There are limits, though. For example, a tutu skirt might look fetching on an Italian Greyhound, but would look quite horrendous on an English Bulldog.
Another factor is the dog’s complexion.
“A black Chihuahua will look amazing in yellows or oranges, but will get lost wearing a navy blue or black piece,” says Nieves. Her own Chihuahua, named Vanilla, knows the fashion drill at this point and “will practically put her head inside the outfit” when it is presented to her.
Unlike the Westminster Dog Show, this event will not air on live TV, so if you wish to watch the dogs, you must come in person. All canines get to attend free of charge, but they are strongly encouraged to “dress to impress.”
Other animals are welcome to come as well. Among this year’s expected spectators are cats, chickens, and even a dragon lizard.
Proceeds from the show will benefit The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, a coalition of more than 150 rescue groups and shelters.
Tickets are $50 in advance/$60 at the door. The venue, Hotel Pennsylvania, 18th Floor, Penn Top Ballroom, is at 401 Seventh Ave, 33rd Street, New York, NY.
Tickets and more information can be obtained at: http://www.newyorkpetfashionshow.com/