Anthony Rubio: “In My World, The Humans Are The Accessories”

Dogs in Haute Couture Rule New York Fashion Week

From Anthony Rubio:

2020 was starting off with a bang. I was booked for two major talk show appearances, a one off spot on a long running primetime reality series and in the final stages of negotiation to be a judge on a new major network show involving dogs when everything came to a stop. I was just coming off the high of showcasing 10 seasons of runway shows during New York Fashion Week culminating with my anniversary show at New York’s Pier 59 Studios when the mandatory lockdown was announced in mid-March. Everything planned was postponed or canceled. Day to day business came to a grinding halt.

About a month after the lock down was in place, I started receiving orders from clients with dogs that had large social media followings and needed new glamorous garments to produce new content for their pages. Business started to increase, but not to the pre-pandemic level. With so much uncertainty, everything was pretty much left up in the air including the future of public fashion presentations.

Fast forward five months, and the subject of New York Fashion Week came up. I did not think it would happen, especially since indoor events were banned. Having been accustomed to my runway shows with an audience between 500 to 1,200 people to now zero spectators proved dismal. My previous runway show venues including Pier 59 Studios, Gotham Hall, Hammerstein Ballroom, Angel Orensanz, Industry City and Broadstreet Ballroom were no longer an option for obvious reasons.

After much encouragement and careful consideration as well as having to think outside of the box, I agreed to put together a full runway show following all the guidelines from the Health Department.

With time on my hands over the Summer, I was able to experiment with new concepts and different textiles. Early on, I was creating new fashions and was able to learn how to add details and mix fabrics I had not done before. As the new idea developed for this presentation, I let this collection take its own direction letting the fabrics lead me in the direction that brought us here. The colors are opulent and textures sublime begging to be touched. For the women’s wear, there is always a sensuality and some pieces are very ethereal. For the canine couture, I created a mix of both formal and whimsical creations matching the personalities of the pups. The overall result is a compact feast for the eyes to warm everyone’s heart.

This presentation was a totally new experience which can very well become the norm for the foreseeable future, though at this time nothing is certain. What is certain, is that I was able to create and present this collection with all my love thanks to the assistance of an amazingly creative team.

Without further delay, I present Anthony Rubio Designs Spring 2020 Fashion Presentation for New York Fashion Week. Enjoy.

Background:

Pet Couturier Anthony Rubio, is no stranger to the runways, having done runway shows for twelve years with the last eleven seasons during New York Fashion Week. Born and raised in New York City, of Puerto Rican ancestry, Mr Rubio with formal training at F.I.T. originally started out as a Women’s Wear designer in the late 80’s for other brands. It wasn’t until he rescued a badly beaten up Chihuahua in 2003 he would name Bandit that he had the idea to dress Bandit to be as stylish as he was. By 2004, a full brand was established. Anthony Rubio has become the leading force of all Canine Couture.

The pet product industry is estimated to bring in 65 billion dollars annually. You can’t help but notice that pets, primarily dogs appear in everything from ad campaigns to commercials to television shows and movies. Pets have transitioned from man’s best friend to being considered actual family members. People who delay having children or can not have children have chosen to fill the void with a pet. As with any family member, there will always be health issues and the need for vaccinations which in turn requires pet health insurance. Other expenses come in the form of pet grooming, pet sitting and/or pet accommodations while owners work or travel. Pet travel is huge as well because many hotels worldwide have opened the doors to these family members.

With all of these expenses in place we can not negate the fact the appearances mean everything and that a first impression is based on how one presents oneself. Pet Parents believe that the best impression comes through fashion. Anthony Rubio Designs creates the most distinctive canine fashions to leave the most memorable impressions. Each custom designed garment is a work of art utilizing the best of everything. Anthony Rubio Designs is not only concerned with the pet looking it’s best but also that the pet is comfortable and safe in this one of a kind creation.

Location: Tals Studio

Canine Models included dogs from shelters, rescue groups and social media influencers.

All photos by Yoni Levy