Posh pooches: ‘Fashionable Dogs’ exhibit comes to NYC’s Museum of the Dog for NYFW
New York Fashion Week isn’t just for humans.
The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog is bringing NYFW to the bark side with its newest exhibit, “Fashionable Dogs.”
Just like fashion trends, specific dog breeds have gone in and out of style throughout time “as the ultimate accessory from nobility to the runway,” per the exhibit’s summary.
Visitors can expect to see “a variety of mixed media from painted portraits, archival photographs and vintage objects depicting the popularity of several dog breeds and how they influenced fashion and how tastes fashioned the breeds,” Alan Fausel, curator of the AKC Museum of the Dog, told The Post.
“Along the way, they will encounter works by noted photographers Herb Ritts, Neal Barr, and the inimitable Weegee. There are famous models such as Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss, and Sharon Tate; celebrity dog owners such as Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, Colette, and Greg Louganis; and Art Deco works by French etcher Louis Icart,” he added.
However, Fausel noted that the exhibit is not about putting clothes on dogs or about dogs wearing clothes.
“Attendees who might expect to see a line of dog coats, sweaters, or booties would be disappointed,” he explained.
As for what constitutes a “fashionable dog,” Fausel said it’s something that is breed-specific.
“I did not make the choice, but dog fanciers over the years have made them. Some breeds just catch on and are repeatedly depicted in various media,” he shared. “Basically, the breed needs to be recognizable and, of course, photogenic.”
In a title panel draft provided to The Post by Fausel, it notes that to be seen as fashionable, the dog typically has an association with a notable figure and is preferably rare or foreign. It also helps if the breed “lends itself to artistic rendering.”
The “Fashionable Dogs” exhibit will look at the arc of the popularity of several breeds throughout history — including the borzoi, greyhound, poodle, Pekingese, Japanese Chin, French bulldog, and Great Dane — and will portray “the rise and fall of dogs in fashion” through paintings, fashion photography, and accessories.
As the title panel explains, greyhounds were one of the first fashionable dogs, particularly revered for their hunting skills; the Japanese Chin and Pekingese breeds were trendy early on for being both rare and foreign; poodles, which are still popular today, were in their prime in the 1950s and ’60s; the borzoi was treasured by the Russian and British aristocracy at the beginning of the 20th century; and in the 1990s, the harlequin Great Dane became a fashion favorite to photograph.
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Lastly, the French bulldog was largely prominent in the 1900s, but was “overlooked for many years.”
But in 2022, the breed reached its triumph, becoming the most registered breed by the American Kennel Club.
The New York State Council on the Arts as well as the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature have provided support for the exhibit, which will run from Sept. 7 to Dec. 31, 2023.
Members of the AKC Museum of the Dog are able to RSVP to an opening reception for the exhibit on Sept. 6.
“Since the museum returned to New York, I have always wanted to do something around Fashion Week,” Fausel added in a press statement. “It was great fun to explore the many points of interaction between the dog and fashion world, and we found a few delightful surprises along the way.”
However, Fausel told The Post that aside from the exhibit this year, there are no plans for future fashion-related exhibitions at this time.
The AKC was founded in 1884 and is America’s primary authority and resource on all things dogs.
It is the world’s largest and oldest not-for-profit all-breed registry.
The Museum of the Dog houses the largest collection of canine art in the US, providing education, historical perspective, and aesthetic enjoyment for the significance of dogs and their relationship with humans.
