Most of the time, pets are left at home while their owners go out for social occasions. Not so at the 10th annual Paws for Style fashion show hosted by Animal Fair magazine on Monday evening, where pooches pranced down the red carpet with their devoted owners in tow.
Among the crowd at M2 Ultra Lounge were “Gossip Girl”’s Matthew Settle and the ubiquitous cast members of “The Real Housewives of New York” (in this case, Jill Zarin and Ramona Singer). But the dogs were the real stars of the evening, including the pups available for adoption from the Humane Society, as they strutted down the runway in one-of-a-kind couture creations with their human handlers.
Designer Richie Rich, for one, designed a matching ensemble for friend Amanda Dolan and her dog Pearl. His own puppies, he admitted, don’t exactly enjoy getting dressed up. “They hate it,” said Rich. “The apple fell very far from the tree, but they have to deal.”
The New York City Ballet’s Tom Gold performed in the middle of the runway, as did TV personality Karina Smirnoff, with her dog Randy. “Him wearing a beautiful, bright, red kimono, that’s the least of his worries. See? He’s smiling,” said Smirnoff about their matching Natori frocks, which were later auctioned on eBay, along with the other outfits in the show to benefit the New York Humane Society.