Pet fashion thrives in Russia despite crisis
19 Apr, 2009 02:59 PM
It would seem in Russia the economic crisis has not filtered down into the dog world as the sale of sportswear evening gowns and fav booties for dogs has bucked the trend to scrimp and save for a worse time to come, Agence France Press observes.
Unlocking the commercial potential of the instinct to pamper one's pooch are designers like Svetlana Abramova, who in 2004 launched her own brand, Very Stylish Dog, AFP reports.
Abramova started out making clothes for humans, but began designing for her chihuahua Boniya in 2001 and was soon embarked on a full-scale business.
"When I went out with Boniya dressed up really fashionably everyone would ask me where I got the clothes from. Little by little I lost all interest in human fashion," she says as cited by the French news agency.
Having got to grips with canine chic, Abramova last year created a range of matching woman and dog outfits for American firm Diamond Dogs, due to go on display in London in March and later in Los Angeles. London store Harrods has ordered a new autumn collection, she says.
Shops like Charli in central Moscow offer not only dog apparel but numerous accessories - including dog rucksacks for venturing far from home turf.
'The clothes are not only about beauty but protect your animal from the cold,' stressed the shop's co-owner, Edita Lys, who says business is holding up and the shop gets about 20 visitors a day at weekends. Most are 'middle class,' she asserts.
Full version: http://www.mosnews.com/weird/2009/04/19/poochoutfitdesigner/
It's a dog's life! Russian canine fashion defies economic crisis
By Victoria Loginova in Moscow From: AFP April 18, 2009
WHILE Russia's two-legged population feels the financial pinch, designer lines from sportswear to mink coats, evening gowns to bootees are being snapped up ... for the nation's dogs.
For mankind's four-legged friends the rigours of the Russian winter have long required some extra layers to keep out the cold.
But the jewel-encrusted, over-the-top creations on offer today, together with perfumes, facial masks and Swarkovski-studded leads, go way beyond the imaginings of, say, the 19th century writer Anton Chekhov, who touched on the phenomenon of women and their dogs in Lady with Lapdog.
Unlocking the commercial potential of the instinct to pamper one's dog are designers like Svetlana Abramova, who in 2004 launched her own brand, Very Stylish Dog, and is now breaking into the foreign market.
She started out making clothes for humans but began designing for her chihuahua Boniya in 2001 and was soon embarked on a full-scale business.
"When I went out with Boniya dressed up really fashionably everyone would ask me where I got the clothes from. Little by little I lost all interest in human fashion," said Ms Abramova.
Having got to grips with canine chic, Ms Abramova last year created a range of matching woman and dog outfits for American firm Diamond Dogs, due to go on display in London in March and later in Los Angeles.
London store Harrods has ordered a new autumn collection, she says.
And along with fur coats and day, evening and sports wear, her customers can push the boundaries of good taste as never before with costumes that allow their dogs to pose as bees, angels, emergency service workers or nurses.
Her dog garments "are cut with respect for the rules of human haute couture," said Ms Abramova, reassuringly.
"We use only natural materials - jersey, cashmere and silk - because some dogs are allergic to synthetic materials," she noted.
Shops like Charli in central Moscow offer not only dog apparel but numerous accessories - including dog rucksacks for venturing far from home turf.
Charli can also give your dog a manicure and dye or plait its hair.
"The clothes are not only about beauty but protect your animal from the cold," stressed the shop's co-owner, Edita Lys, who says business is holding up and the shop gets about 20 visitors a day at weekends. Most are "middle class", she asserts.
But while it is not unusual to see Russian women in restaurants and nightspots with a dog on one arm, the economic crisis has led to some stylistic changes.
"We today make more clothes in casual style - more comfortable, more day-to-day and less luxury. Our clothes are being priced more accessibly but remain elegant and fashionable," said the marketing director of Very Stylish Dog, Nail Abrarov.
"The dogs very quickly get used to the clothes, which protect them from cold and mud. The owners, who treat the dogs like their children, don't want them to get sick," he said.
Full version: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/canine-fashion-defies-the-crisis/story-fn3dxity-1225700136436
Designer makes matching clothes for dogs, owners
By JoAnne Klimovich Harrop, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Forget those one-size-fits-most cotton sweaters for Fido this winter. Dress him in a 100 percent cashmere or silk coat with a real fur collar.
"There is high-fashion for people; why can't there be high fashion for dogs?" says designer Svetlana Abramova through her husband, Igor Danchenko.
Abramova, who is from Russia, lives in Monroeville with Danchenko. The couple moved here three years ago because of his job in the woodworking industry. She has been in the fashion industry and designing clothes for women since the 1990s. In Russia, she has Svetlana Abramova's Fashion House. When Abramova, 50, got her Chihuahua, Bonya, in 2001, she found it hard to find something for him to wear. So she made items that matched outfits she wore, as well as some that had similar patterns and colors.
Once people saw the apparel, they started asking her where it was from, so she decided to start Doggie Fashion Studio. She became the first fashion designer for dogs in the Russia market and is working on connecting with U.S. distributors.
"My principle is to design for dogs the way I design for humans," she says. "Including the last detail such as buttons, stitching and the fabrics used. Everything I use is high-quality."
She uses only natural materials for linings, because some dogs are allergic to synthetic materials. Most of her outfits are designed for small dogs. Prices for doggie outfits start at $50 and can go up to $2,000 for a totally custom-made piece.
She created a range of matching outfits for women and dogs for the international brand Diamond Dogs. She sells items from her collection on her website, www.style4dog.com, and on the Diamond Dogs site, www.diamonddogs.us. She'll also meet with customers to consult on custom-made outfits.
"This is probably not for a mass market, but is for a more specific market," Abramova says. "It is for those people who love and care for their dogs like they are a member of the family. I try to think of what the dog would think about the outfit, whether it is comfortable or not, and I try to make it as comfortable as possible for the dogs, too."
It takes at least a week to make a finished product from an existing design, and often longer for a specially designed piece. They are manufactured both in the United States and in Russia. Customers can request something that looks exactly like an outfit they own, or Abramova will design something for both the customer and pet. She can create something for an animal that is in a color and or pattern similar to an outfit the pet owner already has.
Abramova has designed specific patterns for various breeds of dogs, because each breed has unique qualities. When deciding what size to order for an existing design, the pet's general measurements -- such as neck, chest and back -- are needed. For a totally custom-made item, Abramova takes 25 measurements. She also takes into consideration the dog may gain or lose weight, so an item can be let out or taken in.
"It's really fun for me," she says. "I love coming up with the ideas and meeting the owners and their dogs and designing something that is just for them. It requires more work than for a human, because you have four legs instead of two, and the dog can't say what he or she likes. Plus, there aren't a lot of other places to get clothes like this."
It takes more than one visit with a pet to make sure a custom-designed piece fits properly, just like in creating custom-made items for humans. Each is designed by hand because every animal is unique. She says it is hard to determine an average price for the matching outfit for the person, because it depends on how much fabric, what it's made of, and how much detail she is going to provide.
Helping an owner find the perfect look for the animal that loves its owner unconditionally is part of the reason Abramova is so passionate about her business. Just watching her with Bonya nestled under her arm, dressed in a matching coat, says it all.
"It's about the relationship between people and their pets," Danchenko says. "People really care about their pets, and sometimes will buy something for their pet before themselves."
Full version: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_713222.html
