The Art of Pet Fashion: Meet Yvette Ruta – Part One

Yvette with Chanel & Hali

Dazzling pet couture and awesome accessories; one-of-a-kind handbags and sparkly jewelry…wait! I’m not done! Infant apparel to ooo and ah; luxurious home goods that beg a touch…is there anything Yvette Ruta can’t do? During a recent talk with the outgoing Dallas designer, whose clientele includes some Hollywood notables, I asked her how she manages such prolific creativity, with just so many hours in a day! Yvette has mastered the art of pet fashion. Listen to what drives her ability to do it all, learn about her newest creations and how we can own an Yvette Ruta piece of our very own.

Like most designers, Yvette is a creative person, but for her, it’s in the DNA. Growing up in a family of craftsmen and seamstresses, sewing machines and workshops were a constant part of her childhood landscape. But, it was being able to combine that innate creativity with a strong business sense that set Ruta apart early on.

I’ve been watching Yvette’s work for a while now, on her site and on runways, always marveling at how much she does and how beautiful her pieces consistently are. What I didn’t know is Yvette has been designing for 30 years! She’s had time to hone her craft and build her business.  But, it didn’t start with pets.

The first Yvette Ruta pet bed

Even as a youngster, Yvette was a tall girl. At six feet, there was a dearth of clothes that fit, and it became the driving force for creating her own. Her niche resonated with others…lots of them.  By the time she was 19, Ruta had developed her own successful line, spawning retail stores and placement in tall clothing shops around the country. After having her children, she switched gears and focused on raising them. You know the old expression, ‘Give a busy person something to do and they’ll get it done’? That’s Yvette. The artist in her couldn’t rest on her laurels; she had to continue to create!

With a husband in the bathroom and kitchen remodeling business, who had his own cabinet shop, it was a natural for them to design interiors for clients, as well. They even designed some pet beds back in the day, but it took getting her precious Morkie, Polasha, for her to add a pet collection to her designs. “I designed a bed and bedding for my sweet angel and showed it to a few clients,” Yvette shared. “They started ordering custom pieces of pet furniture from me. My clients who order my fur throws and blankets, who also have pups, started ordering fur coats for their pets. I’ve sold out every season since we started the pet collection!”

Swarovski Angel Bed

Those beds have become pieces of art in themselves.  Using the finest quality materials, from European hinges to Swarovski crystal hardware, an Yvette Ruta Collection bed contains lavender scented drawers and sachets for them.  Her complimenting bedding features sheets washed in organic lavender grown in her own field and harvested by local farmers. “I try to find fabrics that are unique or a bit different than what you’d see around,” she described. “We buy a lot of our fur fabrics in limited quantities. I like to support the local artist community, so many of our fabrics are handwoven by local artists.” I asked her about the furs.  “They’re all faux furs; we’re animal friendly,” Ruta clarified.

Right now, they’re working on their Swarovski line of beds, which qualifies as the most extravagant created for a client. These beds each include inlaid rhinestones and over 20,000 crystals applied by hand. And, we can’t forget the chinchilla faux fur. Each bed takes about a month to create. This one is called the “Crown Prince” bed. “Our new Swarovski bed and collection is, by far, our best seller,” Ruta declared. “We are currently custom making several beds, armoires and other pieces for clients  all over the world. In just the past 2 weeks since I posted our new ‘Crown  Prince’ bed, we have orders from LA, New York, Canada, Mexico, and South America. We are excited to see what next week brings!! Currently, we’re working on a special order Christmas bed, with red textured velvet bedding and white satin, and will be showing this next month!” Stay tuned; I can’t wait!

The Swarovski Crown Prince bed

This has been just a taste; there’s so much more of Yvette Ruta’s creations to learn about and see. Find out more about her couture clothing and accessories, and what she’s now making for us! All in Part Two, tomorrow.

Who’s your favorite pet designer? Tell me in the comments below.