More than a dozen furry friends donned designer duds at a fashion show in SoHo on Sunday to benefit local animal and dog rescues while spotlighting senior dogs in need of adoption.
The adorable pups walked the runway at Flying Solo, a fashion retailer on Broome Street that features items — usually for humans — made by independent designers from around the world. The dapper dogs wore canine clothes designed by James Suozzi for Emmy Award-winning costume designer Patricia Field, famous for dressing the stylish and trend-setting cast of TV’s “Sex and the City.”
Fashion and beauty expert, Lara Eurdolian, organized the invite-only show with others, including Field and “America’s Next Top Model” finalist, KhrystyAna. The event also served as a birthday celebration for Eurdolian’s 18-year-old Pomeranian named Charlie who stars in her new children’s book about animal adoption, “Charlie at the Pom Springs Hotel.” Other characters in the book are based off of real pets, including bunnies and turtles, who were adopted.
Charlie was also the first dog to lead the puppy parade down the runway.
“We’re celebrating Charlie’s 18th birthday,” Eurdolian said. “I rescued him at 10 years old. We wanted to enlist all his aunties, as I like to call them, and do something special for rescues especially seniors because they don’t get enough attention.”
Animal control found little Charlie lost and abandoned on the streets of Palm Springs, Calif. Not only did rescuers find him filthy with his coat disheveled, it turned out he had been “de-barked,” a procedure done to reduce or eliminate a dog’s ability to bark.
Eurdolian said she had no expectations of getting a dog but when she and her husband met Charlie, it was true doggie love. The pup mom organized the event to bring adoptable dogs front and center to show New Yorkers lovable pets are out there waiting for their fur-ever homes.
“People don’t necessarily go to a shelter all the time — I didn’t — but still want a dog and want that exposure,” Eurdolian said. “It’s a great opportunity to show the world what these seniors got.”
‘Sex and the City’ for dogs
Plenty of pup-arazzi were on hand to photograph the dogs who modeled pieces from the Kiss the Pups NYC for Patricia Field ArtFashion collection. The one-of-a-kind pieces were detailed with exquisite designs, including hearts, stars and smiley-face flowers, that the dogs were eager to show off.
The afternoon event was the epitome of high-fashion in NYC.
“It’s like ‘Sex and the City’ for the dogs,” said Suozzi, who has worked with Patricia Field since 2013. “It’s different, it’s weird. It’s inspired by her. This has always been my schtick, but Patricia Field is my mentor.”
But the stars of the show were, of course, the senior dogs. Most of the fashion-forward pups strutted their stuff on the runway not only to look good, but show how lovable older pets can be.
Human model KhrystyAna was on hand to offer tips on turning the catwalk into the ultimate dog walk. Humans and adoptable senior dogs from Animal Haven, Gatto Pups & Friends and PupStarz Rescue were there, too.
“Senior dogs are great,” Robyn O’brien, co-founder of PupStarz Rescue, said. “For a lot of people, puppies are a lot of work. They take a lot of time, a lot of patience. Senior dogs are amazing. Usually they’re just looking for a nice little pillow to lay on, and they have so much love to give.”
O’brien was there with Dr. Daffodil, an 11-year-old chihuahua who is blind and toothless…and available for adoption. Taking a break from the runway, Dr. Daffodil lounged cutely and calmly as her caretaker told reporters how sweet of a dog she is.
“She’s the biggest snuggle bunny ever, and she’s the sweetest little thing,” O’brien said.
Michael Robinson of Brooklyn was there with his younger, 4-year-old, rescue dog. Robinson found the young pup lost on the streets of Brooklyn in 2021. He spent months trying to find her owner, but to no avail. Ultimately, she became part of the caring human’s family.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how many unwanted or unadopted dogs there are and a lot end up in kill shelters or being put down,” Robinson said. “So I think doing an event like this makes it fun, participatory and might inspire someone to adopt who wasn’t thinking of it.”
