Dogs have become a recurring presence at fashion week, occupying the laps of guests where designer handbags once sat, according to a report in the Guardian’s Fashion Statement newsletter.
Writing for the newsletter, Chloe Mac Donnell reported that a cavapoo attended Louis Vuitton and a shih tzu appeared at Schiaparelli during the most recent round of shows, which concluded on Tuesday.
Elsewhere on the schedule, Brooklyn Beckham and Nicole Peltz sat beside Miranda Priestly at Balenciaga — not Meryl Streep’s Devil Wears Prada character, but the rescue dog belonging to the brand’s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli. Tommy Hilfiger took his post-show bow alongside a fluffy samoyed, described as a lookalike of the dog owned by Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, which appears with Kelce in a campaign for the label.
At Chopova Lowena, a miniature schnauzer wearing goggles and a chihuahua in a puffer jacket walked the catwalk.
Mac Donnell reported that the front row has long drawn celebrity guests: during the latest iteration, Jacob Elordi — appearing as Heathcliff — was seen high-fiving the Adolescence actor Owen Cooper at Bottega Veneta, Rihanna arrived 63 minutes late to the Matières Fécales show, and Dua Lipa was seen talking with Nicole Kidman and Pedro Pascal at Chanel. Dogs, however, were competing with that crowd for photographers’ attention.
Dogs belonging to less famous guests, rather than only A-listers, are increasingly common at shows, according to the newsletter. Demi Moore’s 1.2lb chihuahua Pilaf was once a regular attendee, and Prince Tokyo Gizmo Hilton made his front-row debut alongside Paris Hilton at Gucci. In July, Vogue published a story on Poppy, a tiara-wearing shih tzu who has become a regular on the couture circuit.
Owners describe the effect on show environments
Madeleine Rothery, a freelance fashion writer, has been bringing Disco, a five-year-old Boston terrier, to shows for two years.
“People find her quite entertaining,” Rothery said. “I think people can feel quite self-conscious and uptight at shows, and she just makes everyone feel at ease, loosen up a little and talk among each other, rather than be glued to their phones.”
Prada, a five-year-old teacup pomchi — a cross between a pomeranian and a chihuahua — has been a familiar sight at shows in London over the past two years, according to her owner Tori West, editor of Bricks magazine.
“The street style photographers always call her name to look at the camera when we’re heading into a show,” West said. “She’s built her own fashion community, which is super cute.”
Access remains inconsistent. Rothery, who lives in Paris with Disco, travels to Copenhagen each season and said she has never attempted to take the dog to a Paris show.
“In Paris, I’ve never dared take her to a show because most of the venues are cultural institutions, and I just know she wouldn’t be allowed in, so there’s no point asking,” she said.
At one show in Copenhagen in August, Rothery found that entry required passing through a museum where dogs were prohibited. She said the security guard told her that if she concealed Disco, he would “turn a blind eye”.
“It turned into a really lovely act of kindness towards us both,” Rothery said. “It’s hard to be negative when a dog’s around. They just make everyone feel good about life.”
Support animal role and industry attitudes
Prada attends fashion week as West’s registered support animal, a role that provides stability for West, who has anxiety.
“I feel way more safe and comfortable having her with me at events than not,” West said.
At London fashion week, Prada accompanied West to every show except two, where West was warned in advance that the music would be too loud.
“If an event isn’t pooch-friendly, it’s usually one that isn’t chill, so then I know it would stress me out being there anyway,” West said. “I’ve learned I don’t want to be in spaces that wouldn’t allow my dog.”
West said the growing visibility of dogs at fashion week could indicate that the industry is rethinking the needs of its guests.
“It’s such a busy, stressful schedule, and I think people who have children, carers, or assistance animals have historically been somewhat forgotten about in these hyper-controlled fashion environments,” she said.
For Rothery, bringing Disco serves as a link to life beyond the fashion week schedule.
“No matter how stressed or overwhelmed I start to get, I always have to walk her and tend to her,” she said. “That just brings me back down to earth.”
Mac Donnell reported that the trend reflects broader cultural change, citing treat jars in local pubs, a rise in specialist dog clothing and dedicated magazine covers as evidence of the central place dogs hold in many people’s lives.
The report was published in the Guardian’s Fashion Statement newsletter.
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