This year is all about the dogs at New York Fashion Week.
Over 20 adorable dogs took over the runway at Anthony Rubio’s fashion show to show off his spring/summer 2018 collection. Several pups that walked the runway included 2-year-old poodle Wyatt, 5-month-old puppy Rex, and Kimba, a 6-year-old Chihuahua.
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“The dogs that walk on the runway get a lot of attention,” Rubio told Inside Edition “The models that walk them are the accessories. If you’re going to walk your dog, you have to look the part.”
Rubio considers himself to be an expert in “pet couturier.” As the curator of the show, he makes sure all of the items are pet friendly.
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“The animals are well taken care of,” Rubio explained to Inside Edition. “Everything is taken into consideration when designing these garments.”
It isn’t easy to make it into Rubio’s show. Each dog is hand picked and must be well-behaved in order to be on the runway. The models also have to get along well with dogs in order to be chosen.
“I’m very particular,” Rubio said to Inside Edition. “I don’t want anybody mishandling an animal.”
Rubio has been conducting dog-centered fashion shows for the past five years. Luckily, there has never been an accident and all of the dogs have behaved well.
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“None of the dogs have done No. 1 or No. 2 on the runway yet,” Rubio said to Inside Edition.
The trendy outfits also help raise money and awareness for several animal organizations. The current show highlights the Animal Lighthouse Rescue, an “organization that rescued orphan-turned-supermodel Rex off a beach in Puerto Rico ahead of Hurricane Irma.”
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The show also shed a light on the Guide Dog Foundation, which runway dog Wyatt graduated from. Wyatt was brought up in a prison and now works as a guide dog for a veteran.
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Rubio first got the idea for a dog-centric fashion show about 12 years ago when he adopted a rescue Chihuahua named Bandit.
“It was chained up to a fence and it was being beaten. Police said if I don’t take this dog in, they’re going to put him down,” Rubio explained to Inside Edition. “I said, ‘Not on my watch. This dog is going to live the life of a king for the rest of his life.’”
After the rescue, Rubio bought Bandit a pair of sunglasses and was instantly inspired by his cute look. From then on, Bandit opened and closed every show until he passed away.
Kimba, Rubio’s new dog, has now taken over for Bandit and is in every show. This year he modeled a “stretch tuxedo encrusted with Swarovski crystals and glass beading with a matching top hat.”
Source: Inside Edition Youtube
Along with raising awareness for the organizations, Rubio puts the dogs up for adoption at the end of the show.
“We do everything with a heartfelt message,” Rubio told Inside Edition.
