Dog Couture Is Taking Off
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday June 18, 2008
At a Berry store, your pooch can be pampered while trying on the latest four-legged fashions. ILSA CUNNINGHAM meets the Barking Mad owners.
A girl can never have too many outfits and neither can a pampered pooch.A Berry boutique has upped the doggie fashion stakes, stocking everything from sneakers to wedding dresses, tuxedos and cheerleading outfits.If humans can wear it, so too can their four-legged friends.Barking Mad Berry owners Gabe and Rebecca Reed opened their pooch paradise in December, following the success of their handmade dog outfits at the Bondi markets.Due to the time constraints of making everything from scratch, they're now concentrating on printing their own remarkable slogans on T-shirts. There's everything from Hound Hefner, Puppy Anderson and Puppy School Drop Out, to Red Hot Chilli Bones and Muttalica.The Reeds have searched far and wide for the remainder of their clothing, toys, and beauty products, to ensure every dog is looking and feeling their finest.While they're getting fitted up, at the weekends dogs can even enjoy a puppacino - that's a frothy milky drink with a dusting of carob powder - or get whipped into shape with a manicure.Then they can parade up and down the red carpet at the store and sprawl on the VIP lounge after they've exhausted their modelling skills.Rebecca Reed says while she expected the store would appeal to young people and the elderly, all manner of people have been tramping through the door."A big majority of people have kids that have left home or are newly-weds that don't have children," she says.Many pampered pooches she sees are treated like replacement children by their owners, or act a test run for the real thing."With the way interest rates are going, people are waiting to have children so they're putting their focus on their dog," she says.The Reeds are yet to start a family, and their four dogs receive five-star treatment.They always wear clothes, which are washed regularly and returned to their individual chests of drawers."They wear winter clothes, bikinis and board shorts," Reed giggles."One wears a full-piece swimsuit because she's getting older and does not want to show as much."While most of the customers are smaller breed dogs, there have been several staffies and pugs coming in for a sniff around recently.They seem to be drawn to the "tougher wear" like security shirts and Drizabone jackets.While the sneakers are proving popular, most owners come in to look for that perfect pooch outfit for a special occasion.That could be a wedding, Christmas celebration, or any type of party from engagement, to housewarming, birthday and Halloween.
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