Just My Style: Anthony Rubio Tells Us What’s Next in Pet Fashion!
Photo shoot for NYC Dogswag magazine.
Photo credit: Jason Howard
Want to know what’s next on the pet fashion horizon? That’s the topic of the last week of pet couturier, Anthony Rubio’s, 5-week Just My Style residency on Bark & Swagger. Rubio is hard at work prepping for tonight’s New York Pet Fashion Show appearance, with the theme, Rescued by the 80’s. He’s chosen a Miami Vice fashion statement, a sneak peek into the making of it is below.
The New York Pet Fashion Show is tonight!
See Anthony’s turn on the runway, with Bogie & Kimba, as well as the other models, both human and hairy (and some not so hairy), designers and more, when I Periscope all 3 runway shows tonight, starting at 7:15pm EST. Follow me @barkandswagger on Periscope to experience the New York Pet Fashion Show runway LIVE!
For those who don’t know Periscope, it’s the newest social platform, owned by Twitter, specifically for your mobile device (iPhone or android). It’s live, streaming video – raw, in the moment, real. It’s a free downloadable app and it’s fun and really catching on.
So now, without further adieu, I give you Anthony Rubio and his insight into…What’s Next in Pet Fashion!
Week 5: What’s Next
by Anthony Rubio
Even brrr weather gear is bright, whimsical and fun.
It has been such a pleasure sharing so much with the readers of Bark & Swagger. In this, the fifth and final installment of my Just My Style series, I would like to give you some final thoughts and share my fashion predictions for the coming year.
The pet design industry is growing by leaps and bounds. While it is fun to create your very own design on your pet, there are certain garments I would leave to the experts. It is one thing to follow a simple pattern and believe me it is quite an achievement. To be able to get to the next level, for example creating a fitted tuxedo or ball gown, I would advise going for higher education. There is a great program for pet fashion, one of the very few in the world, at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. Through my own education, I have learned to use tools that would take professional training. I do research and experiment with new materials and new ideas for design, and while they do not always pan out, when I have a break though, it feels quite exciting and fulfilling!
So what do I see on the horizon? I see canine fashion even more accepted and, in fact, expected world wide. Not only do I see dogs wearing fashion as a part of everyday style in owning a pet, but I see more of those on the cutting edge setting trends; street trends like with human fashion. I expect it to spread even more to other animals like cats, and even larger species like horses!
I envision pet fashion looking more stream-lined and classic, with sophistication, like you would see for human fashions by the likes of Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera. I see pets being included as part of the traditional wedding party, even more than they are now. Imagine your dog carrying the wedding rings down the aisle or as a flower girl?
Kimba is shimmering in gold metallic, an enduring trend
Animal patterns will forever be in fashion. Modern looks lean in the direction of clean lines and metallic fabrics, taking its cue from minimalist concepts where less is more. In fashion, the sky is the limit. Any one can start a trend if they can spark the interest of others to follow.
Right now, I am experimenting with unconventional materials, just for fun. At this year’s New York Pet Fashion Show, I will have my boys, Bogie and Kimba, grace the catwalk in fashions inspired by the 80’s fashion theme of the evening. The designers were all thrown a curve ball. We were told the garments could not be made using any fabric!
Not one to turn down a good challenge (LOL), I decided to create the material by dyeing coffee filters in this year’s Pantone colors of the year – Quartz Pink and Serenity Blue. Bogie and Kimba will conjure memories of the 80’s classic TV blockbuster, Miami Vice.
Anthony’s Miami Vice-inspired fashions for the New York Pet Fashion Show tonight
the making of…
I’m so excited to share I will be presenting at the 2016 fall/winter New York Fashion Week! I’ll be showing women’s wear designed to coordinate or match their pets. Notice that it is the humans matching and or enhancing their pets. I hope to be able to share this experience, the actual show and how it is received here on Bark & Swagger.
I urge all of you to keep dressing your pets and do it with pride. Let’s together show the world how much we love our dogs and how we celebrate our wonderful relationships with them, through expressing their personalities through fashion.
Last but definitely not least: please please please spread the word, “Adopt Don’t Shop”. There is so much unconditional love waiting for that person who is willing to open their heart and their home to those who were left behind and have no voice. When a dog is adopted, they know that they have been chosen and that they are special. The rewards they bring are boundless and so fulfilling. You have not yet lived until you have experienced the love of a rescue.
Thank you for your time and I hope to come back again. Until then, keep up with Bark & Swagger!
♥ ♥ ♥
Thank you, Anthony and Bark & Swagger family for joining us on this Just My Style series. Stay tuned for a new Just My Style series launching soon! Until then, remember…when fierce fashion calls, Bark & Swagger! xxx
