From Anthony Rubio:

With all that we have had to endure in the recent past I felt that we need to bring back a sense of dressing up and celebrating as we used to. Enough with the lounging streetwear which out of necessity took over the industry. I love comfortable clothes to do my work, shopping and chores but I like to have that separate time of cleaning up, and dressing for gatherings. I love to see people dressed to impress.

We are living in a time where we are communicating via the internet and gradually bringing back get togethers. We are venturing out to the theater and to restaurants. We are now taking pictures of ourselves with family members including our pets to send out on the internet and impress the world. For this I was compelled to design and present a new line of clothes that show some flare, some polish and in some cases some fun. 

I used a lot of sequined fabrics to bring a little glitter. I chose to incorporate metallic textiles in  gold and silver but also used black white, grey and royal blue. I created cocktail dresses and gowns for the women. 

For the dogs it was all about dressing to the K9’s for them to put their best paw forward. I also brought in metallics in the use of sequins and gems stones. There were magical manifestations of tuxedos for the males and ball gowns for the girls all designed with comfort for their needs 

The show stopping moment was my introduction of the first ever cat as a model on the catwalk.  Instagram famous and fashion influencer Sunglasses Cat flew in from the West Coast just to make her catwalk debut modeling her favorite designer Anthony Rubio Designs. Her dress featured  floral embroidery of gold and silver and lavender on grey chiffon.

It was the “FEEL GOOD SHOW’. Everyone in attendance walks out feeling joy and love of man’s best friend which are usually forgotten, neglected and at times heartlessly discarded. 

I opened my show displaying the message on the big screen stating  Adopt Don’t Shop to bring attention to the fact that too many cats and dogs are abandoned and need loving homes.

Making history by presenting for the first time ever an actual Cat on the Catwalk of any fashion week. So why has no one thought to do this before?

Anthony Rubio was the first to present canines as models and not as accessories in any Fashion Week starting in New York. He designs and presents women’s wear and men’s accessories designed to coordinate with the creations for the canine models. Together they present a fashion show like no other.

The theme for this show was a celebration of life bringing back the fashions for cocktail hour, formal wear for just partying. There was much gold, silver, shades of blue and all with a touch of opulence. 

Anthony wants to bring to his audience that feel good experience while reminding them that dogs and cats are man’s and woman’s best friends.

Mr. Rubio always promises and delivers a joyful and almost theatrical experience creating garments that exude joy  and excellence using the finest fabrics and embellishments bordering on human couture but actually presenting authentic and collectible one of a kind couture creations for pets.

Every season, Anthony Rubio partners up with animal shelters and animal organizations to include dogs that are up for adoption in his show. Canine Models included dogs from shelters, rescue groups, clients and social media influencers.

Anthony Rubio designs New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022.

The inspiration and theme

For the first time since February 2020 we were given the thumbs up to show with live audiences, once again. We are not completely out of the woods with each day bringing new surprises but the fact is that after the tragic period we all experienced those of us who survived have reason to celebrate our endurance and resilience and to those I wanted to bring the party.

Being a true New Yorker and having witnessed so many parades and celebrations as done only in New York, I created a line of clothes for both humans and canines that reflected the joy we have been missing.

I always recall the fun in watching the countdown and celebration of each new year. I love the gimmer and the colors of the floating confetti and so I chose vibrant colors and lots of shimmer in garments I know people would love to wear to any festive event.

My show opened with a black and white ensemble indicative of the period we just came out from. Our lives were turned upside down and having to survive we were all relegated to making things simple as in black and white.

As the models followed the colors became brighter and sharper with fabrics also becoming lighter and frilly representing our letting go of the heavy burdens and mournful periods we have endured.

For the canines, I took the approach of dressing them in formal wear mostly decorated with jewels and sequins. I always celebrate our canine companions. They do so much and get little recognition or celebration. They teach us so much if we let them. When facing adversity canines show bravery and most importantly they show resilience. They may lose a limb but they will come back walking. They bring us companionship and love when we need them most. So for me, they are champions. Did you know that more dogs were adopted during the pandemic than ever before?

I dress the dogs as a reflection of us. I, like many, feel that they are truly family members and that they too should have their time to shine. So for my show we celebrated both humans and canines as heroes.

For this show, I delved into menswear. I created cape-like coats in the most interesting holographic synthetic fabrics. It was inspired by garments depicted in Anime. The coats took on a cape-like presence making my males look like superheroes.

When the show opened, those in attendance cheered. It was totally uplifting. The magic of the fashions infused a sense of joy and celebration. The colorful backdrops we created digitally gave a jolt and pulled the audience into a world of brightness, joy and celebration. It all took us to a place we yearned for. It was “Theater”.

My hope was that those who watch are reminded that we are strong and resilient. I gave them a vision of the brightness at the end of the tunnel. I want to remind everyone of where we came from and that we can get there again.

Photos by Arun Nevader for Getty Images, Manonce, Hideki Aono and Mouhsine Idrissi.