Doggy Design To Die For: Orostani Couture

It all started in a little atelier in the Ukraine. A master tailor passed his craft down to his son, who passed it down to his daughter. And what she did with it, has taken doggy design to a new level. Olga Yuditsky, founder of Orostani Couture, is one of the few designers today doing true couture, worthy of the finest fashion houses. I’ve highlighted pieces of hers in my stories before, but here is her story of how she went from the Ukraine to Chicago, by way of New York and Italy, to create doggy design to die for.

Getting Started

Gold Skull Denim Jacket

Orostani Couture is an unusual name, so I wanted to know what inspired it. Olga told me that, like Harvey and Bob Weinstein and the film company, Miramax,  they made world famous, she named it after her parents. The “o” is for her name, but the rest is a blend of her father’s, Ross, who inspired Olga to get into fashion, and her mother’s, Tania. I really liked that. This is a girl with strong family ties.

Olga moved from the Ukraine with her family when she was 6. She always loved fashion, and started sketching, sewing and designing as a teenager. Her first creation was a silk, hand-painted kimono-styled dress, which she still has in her closet today. That exploration into re-designing her own clothes and creating new designs fueled her passion and led her to earning an associate’s degree in design. But, she wanted more. Her family sent her to New York City to study at the world-famous Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), where she earned her bachelor’s degree focusing on couture and design. During her final year, Olga did an internship in Florence, Italy, where she apprenticed in the great house of Givenchy. When she came home, she worked freelance for a few years, designing and making stage costumes for singers and dancers, doing pattern making, and consulting to make a living.

The Birth of Orostani Couture

Then, she got a very special gift: her first dog, Simba, a parti-color Pomeranian.  It began with a common problem. You can’t find the kind of clothes you want for your dog, so you design and make them yourself. And that’s what Olga did. Then, her friends started asking her to design for their dogs, too. All good. But when she put her creations for Simba up on her Facebook page and on Instagram, things started snowballing. One thing led to another, and Orostani Couture was born.

Bella Dog Rock Glam

Olga officially launched the company at last year’s New York Pet Fashion Show, which we’re all excitedly gearing up for again tonight, at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. She got a great response to her creations, and socialite and celebrity pups started knocking on her door. She has dressed Eli, the privileged Chihuahua from Doggie Moms, ZZ, the socialite pup featured in the book, Couture Dogs of New York, and her most recent is Barkley the Pom, who is becoming all the rage all the way from Germany!

Olga’s designs are not narrow in scope. They include the whimsical (her Life’s A Zoo vests) to the feminine/edge (the Rock Glam creations) to sheer tutu confections. The common thread is her deft ability to mix glamour with grit, resulting in pieces that combine unlikely fabrics together with beautiful, detailed embellishments. And it works.

The Interview

I spoke with Olga about her design process:

BaS: What inspires you to sit down and create something?

OC: Some of the time I get inspired strictly by the fabric that I find. It kind of speaks to me and, depending on the season and what I’m missing from my collection, I’ll create something. I also get inspired by my own customers and the ideas we talk about for the custom work.  I travel a lot and that inspires me, too.

Polka Dot Black/White
Geometric

BaS: Where have you traveled that has been particularly inspiring?

OC:  Places like Italy. I just went to Thailand over New Year’s; that was really inspiring. Spain, its culture and its architecture also inspires me.

BaS: What’s your process once you have an idea?

OC: I sometimes sketch but I’ll also just go with it and put it together. I have base patterns and, depending on the design, I’ll drape my fabric on a dog mannequin. But my dog’s are my fit models; my sample size.

BaS: Lucky pups! How do you address fit? For those of us who don’t have easy to fit dogs, this can be a challenge.

OC: I use extensions on the neck and girth areas of my pieces. Many people have Chihuahuas, and the difference between a Pomeranian and a Chihuahua is Chihuahua’s have a wider belly part area, as opposed to Maltese, which are very narrow. So, I use a larger extension area so there’s room to play and make adjustments. And I use velcro mainly, depending on the garment.

BaS: Do you have any personal favorite designs?

Rocker Glam Denim Harness Vest

OC: My favorite pieces are my denim pieces.  I create them using recycled denim I get from second hand stores. I love rummaging through, finding very interesting denims in different colors, washes and finishes. Then I just tear them apart and I use only the very cool pieces; put them together in a patchwork, use a lot of studs, maybe add some soft elements such as lace, or include a skull. I have a lot of one-of-a-kind denim pieces that I just love to make. And, each one is going to be different, because you can never find that same jean again. I  like to have fun with my designs!

You can browse the Orostani Couture collection pieces here.

Follow Orostani Couture on Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time…

Lifes A Zoo Couture
Elephant Harness Vest