Pet Fashion Week NY Debuts
Approximately 2,000 people from 20 countries attended the first
Pet Fashion Week NY, held Aug. 19-20 at the Metropolitan Pavilion
in New York. Organized by well-known pet groomer Mario DiFante
and designer Alexa Cach, the event featured a runway show, a
fashion awards competition and a trade show with 130 exhibits.
During the runway show on Saturday evening, designers dazzled
spectators with matching canine and human couture. The black-tie
affair, which raised funds for several animal welfare organizations,
featured a student designer competition sponsored by Land’s
End. The winner, determined by a panel of pet industry experts,
was David Napoli of the Fashion Institute of Technology in
New York. He received $5,000 and promotional exposure for
his Japanese street fashion-inspired line, Konichiwa Bitches.
Grant Trick, a graduate student majoring in apparel design
at Parsons in New York, won a CBS poll in which viewers were
asked to pick their favorite design.
Following the student designer presentation, 28 exhibiting
firms showcased various designs in a special choreographed
presentation titled “A Child’s Journey.”
Participating companies presented one-of-a-kind couture and
avant-garde designs not yet available for sale in retail markets.
Kimmy Nguyen of DiscoLulu (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) won the
Media Choice Award, sponsored by Swarovski. Nguyen received
an ad in Pet Elite Magazine, a crystallized dog bone and an
opportunity to buy direct from Swarovski for three years.
The two-day trade show drew a steady crowd throughout the
weekend as buyers and exhibitors viewed top-of the-line fashions
from across the country and overseas.
The next Pet Fashion Week NY will take place in the same
location in August 2007. Exact dates had not been determined
at press time. [November 2006 PET AGE]
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