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NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:

Harlow & Grace PRESENTS: Canines on the Catwalk

CANINES IN CLOTHES
One Garland shop owner is bringing dog fashion to Spokane — whether it’s ready or not

By Jo Miller For The INLANDER, America's Best Read Urban Weekly

http://www.inlander.com/spokane/canines-in-clothes/Content?oid=2154682

Cameras snap as the hot sun shines down on a Seattle beach occupied by an array of clothes and camera equipment. A tiny Yorkshire terrier wearing a seashell-embellished swimsuit poses on top of driftwood. A passerby stops and asks, “Oh! Is that Carly?”

Kendra Cunningham says that she was too shocked to answer. She still isn’t used to the fact that Carly, one of her four Yorkies, is a recognizable fashion model.

Cunningham recalls that moment, an on-location photo shoot for her new line of summer wear, while sitting in her shop on Garland Avenue. She’s a fashion designer — a canine fashion designer — and opened Diva Dog Pet Boutique three years ago as Spokane’s first spot for upscale dog apparel and accessories.

“These stores are commonplace in fashion-forward cities,” Cunningham says. “They’re not common around here. So we took a chance.”

ALL DRESSED UP

The walls of Cunningham’s shop teem with every outfit combo a dog owner could dream of: a steampunk black corset with a white lace skirt for the eccentric dog, satin flower dresses for the princess, a Haight-Ashbury coat for the reminiscent hippie pup, and a pink sparkle gown with a gold waistband for the goddess.

Diva Dog carries dog fashion lines from across the country, but Cunningham spends the bulk of her time creating for her own line, Harlow and Grace Canine Couture. Outfits ranging from $30 to $300 can be altered to fit or ordered custom-made.

Some might find the idea of a dog in fancy clothing ridiculous. But to Cunningham and her customers, it all makes sense.

“It’s true haute couture,” says Cunningham, a former a social worker who got into sewing after making clothes for her daughters when they were younger.

Her four Yorkies got outfits, too, before Cunningham opened her shop. And they love wearing clothes.

“If my dogs start to squabble, all I do is hold up the comb or say, ‘Let’s get pretty.’ They will stop what they’re doing and push to be first,” she says.

All of her dogs started modeling as puppies. Carly — being small, packable, and the friendliest of the four — became Cunningham’s runway dog, walking with human models in local fashion shows, including Spokane’s Top Model.

For a dog to reach model status as Carly has, Cunningham says you just need to start dressing them and taking their picture from the time you get them. They eventually learn to perk up their heads for an over-the-shoulder pose whenever they see a camera.

“They know what they’re doing,” Cunningham says. “They’re professional models.”

MISSION DOG-POSSIBLE

Pamela Clark moved to Spokane last summer from southern California with Zoey Bear, her Pomeranian-Yorkie (“Porkie”) mix. Realizing Spokane wasn’t exactly the Mecca of dog clothing, she immediately gravitated toward Cunningham’s shop.

“We came up here and were thinking, ‘Oh this is a quite different culture up here,’” Clark says. “So I really appreciate and admire that [Cunningham] is being a forerunner in this particular city for doggy fashion, because it actually is very big in many other states.”

Carly, wearing a pink spotted vest, lays in Cunningham’s lap with her head resting on her knee, as Cunningham’s eyes get a bit misty.

“I cry after every fashion show that Carly is in because I believe, and cannot prove, she came from, let’s say, less than ideal beginnings. It could’ve been a puppy mill,” she says. “And I look at this little dog and I wonder — she’s so sweet and so loving — and here she is this local star. What would have happened to you if we hadn’t have found each other?”

Cunningham says she wants to use her shop to make Spokane more pet-friendly, and show people pets are companions, not accessories.

“When you get a dog, you love it forever,” she says. “And every one of my dogs — we’ve had dogs ever since I was a child — has always died of old age in my arms. We don’t give them away. We don’t dump them because they become a pain in the butt. And I’ve had a few pain-in-the-butt dogs. But you hang in there. It’s a commitment.”

Cunningham’s next big step in accomplishing her mission is heading up Spokane’s first dog fashion show, Canines on the Catwalk, a benefit for SpokAnimal. She’s hard at work making the 40-plus outfits Carly, Zoey Bear, and other models will strut in all their doggy diva-dom.

And even if while they’re walking swanky one of them has an accident on the runway, that’s OK, Cunningham acknowledges. They’re still just dogs.

UPDATE: The second annual Harlow & Grace Presents Canines on the Catwalk, 2014 was held at the Comfort Inn in partnership with The Spokane Humane Society

Pets, Pets, Pets

http://www.massapequapost.com/current/Columnists

Yorkie911’s seventh annual fashion show -“Rescues Rock the Runway” - was a spectacular event. And this praise comes from someone who’s been a fan of canine couture and dressing Afghan Hounds for over 35 years. In fact, most of the sight hounds that accompany models during Fashion Week in NYC belong to people I know. So, yes, this is a huge compliment.

Founded by Heidi Walker in 2010, Yorkie911 Rescue, Inc. is a 501(3) c non-profit based in North Babylon made up of volunteers dedicated to rescuing, vetting, protecting and raising awareness about the Yorkshire Terrier and other small breed dogs. The dogs are nurtured in foster homes while awaiting adoption. Yorkie911’s goal is to find the best home environment possible for each and every dog they save.

Usually, the tiny dogs under the care of Yorkie911 are owner-surrenders, puppy mill victims or from LI and NYC shelters. Yorkie911 has helped many Babylon Shelter dogs, some with health issues and others taken from precarious situations, including a tiny dog tied in the woods. In less than six years, more than 680 tiny treasures have been placed by Yorkie911. Lots of the adopted alumni were spectators or participants in the fabulous fashion show last weekend. The dogs in the audience were dressed to the nines. Many sat on chairs or inside their pup strollers so they could see the fashion show.

“Harley” the Bulldog as Sophia Loren “Rescues Rock the Runway” is an annual fundraiser. This year it was held at the Upsky Hotel in Hauppauge where over 200 guests sat at tables on either side of a long runway. Vendors sold clothing and accessories for Yorkie-size pups at the back of the ballroom. The festivities began with pup supermodels dressed in the creations of three designers of clothes for toy-size dogs. Each dog model was carried down the runway by the handsome “Men in Black” who were for the most part adopters or volunteers for Yorkie911.

“King Tut” the Pomeranian as a bald eagle This year’s designers showcased their wearable artwork. Swarovski crystals, feathers and velvet embellished their creations. The Harlow and Grace collection by Kendra Cunningham included a watermelon print dress for summer barbecues while the Furry Fashionista line by Adrianne McManus displayed a lily of the valley sundress and cotton candy ruffly skirt. September Phillips brought her Foo Foo Fido “Alice in Wonderland” collection with evening wear for the White Queen, Rabbit and Alice herself. Many ensembles had matching leashes, of course. Guests could purchase or order the designer’s outfits for their petite pooches in the vendor area.

After the buffet was served, Yorkie911 honored Dr. Deborah Wheat, a Bayport veterinarian dear to the organization, and Caroline Loevner and her Husky Beau for their many years doing pet therapy visits. Then, the games began. There were three costume contests. First a Pet/ Owner Look-a-Like contest. Top honors went to a Shihtzu and owner dressed as identical clowns. Next was the “It’s a Small World” competition, inspired by Disney and the 1964 World’s Fair in Flushing. Each canine contestant strutted (or was carried) down the runway in the garb of a foreign land, but not necessarily the country of their breed origin.

”Meeka,” a Havanese, portrayed a German country gal; a Yorkie balanced a tall Brazilian head piece; a Mexican Shihtzu shook maracas, while a male and female Chihuahua wore traditional, turquoise beaded garb from India. However, the winner represented the USA. A Pomeranian named “King Tut,” a Yorkie911 adoptee, was disguised as a bald eagle. Such a patriotic transformation. His owner Ruben, a canine stylist, shaved Tut’s coat and dyed his tan fur red and blue. Tut wore a white feather headdress and a sculpted raptor beak as Ruben and his “eagle” flew down the runway, waving an American flag. “Tut” posed for photos after winning. It’s hard to believe a dog would keep these props on so long.

The grand finale celebrated the Golden Age of Hollywood Celebrities. We saw a canine Grace Kelly, followed by a Gene Kelly singing in the rain. A Fred Astaire pup danced down the runway with Rita Hayworth. Vivien Leigh wore a hoop slip under her “Gone with the Wind” skirt, whereas a Marilyn Monroe was resplendent in a red-sequined evening gown because “Some Like It Hot.” “Harley,” an adorable Bulldog puppy decked out as Sophia Loren, received top honors from the Academy Award of fashion judges.

“Einstein,” a Westie mix in a plaid shirt, sat at his table like a perfect gentleman every time I walked by. Turns out he was a Yorkie911 foster dog from Hempstead Town Shelter who’s been looking for his forever family for nine months now. When first found as a shelter stray, the Terrier had only a few tufts of wild, white hair on his head like his genius namesake. Once diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism, his coat grew back. He takes two inexpensive pills each day. “Einstein” is about eight years old, well-behaved and gets along with other dogs. To find out more or to adopt “Einstein,” contact [email protected] or call 631-965-6418.

Yes, all style traces back to Afghan Hounds. We were invited to the show because Sophie Cardone, the backbone of Yorkie rescue on LI for decades. recently adopted an Afghan in need. “Jake” frolics with her three Irish Wolfhounds.