Last Bark for Bryant Park

Examiner

A Fashion Show for Dogs

 

On April 12 from 5-6:30 the grounds of New York's Fashion Institute of Technology was full of woofs and growls in the 2nd annual "Last Bark for Bryant Park" fashion show. Students in FIT's Pet Product Design and Marketing program worked hard to make the show memorable for all in attendance. In addition to the viewing some of the future fashion trends for dogs, attendees received a goody bag full of pet-related products.

Some of the more memorable designs included:

    * motorcycle jacket worn by Sophie the shih tzu
    * leather bomber jacket
    * camouflage outfit
    * sequined wedding gown (the finale)

Most of the dog models belong to the FIT family, but there were also a 2 shelter dog models. The shelter dogs are available for adoption at the North Shore Animal League.

The event was judged by Mario DiFante, and winning designs will be featured at dog events around the world.

According to Cheryl Fein, an FIT spokeswoman, "No one barked, bit, peed, jumped, growled or otherwise misbehaved."

Are you interested in pet product design and marketing? FIT's Center for Professional Studies offers several non-credit and certificate programs. According to the FIT website,

"The Pet Product Design and Marketing Professional Development certificate program is offered by FIT's Center for Professional Studies. The noncredit program consists of six courses: How to Get Your Pet Apparel and Product Concepts to Market, Fashion Design for Pet Apparel, Pet Accessories and Lifestyle Product Design, Quick Sketching for the Pet Product Business, Pet Accessory Design Studio, and Introduction to Pet Product Branding. Students receive a Pet Product Design and Marketing certificate upon completion of the program."

Fashion Week Brings Visitors, Cash to Berlin

The Local

Despite the decidedly inelegant snow and icy temperatures that continue to bedeck Germany’s capital, more than 130,000 style-savvy visitors descended on Berlin Wednesday to trek through the 2010 Autumn/Winter Fashion Week.

The event, which runs between January 20 and 24, is not only a sought-after showcase for new designers, but also a noteworthy source of income for the cash-strapped capital. According to Christian Tänzler, representative of Berlin’s tourism board, the average Fashion Week visitor spends around €240 per day.

While the temporary influx of fashion industry professionals is a boon to Berlin’s tourist trade, Tänzler said that the transformation of Berlin’s image is just as valuable.

“The image of Berlin as a fashion metropolis – you can’t measure that,” he told The Local.

With the increase in tourist traffic, temporary work opportunities also arise. BREAD & BUTTER, a jeans and streetwear trade fair located at the historic Tempelhof Airport, has hired 4,700 provisional employees. Among them 3,500 have assisted in the construction of a temporary façade, runways and a display area for BREAD & BUTTER’s 600 exhibitors.

In July 2009, Mayor Klaus Wowereit lured BREAD & BUTTER back to Berlin after a four-year stint in Barcelona. Around 80,000 buyers and urbanwear industry professionals are expected to attend the trade fair this year.

Concurrently, the 6th annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Bebelplatz will feature fashion shows every 90 minutes. International and local designers such as Anja Gockel, Paolo Errico, Patrick Mohr, Rena Lange and Sam Frenzl are scheduled to display new collections.

“The German capital is becoming a fashion centre of truly international appeal,” deputy mayor Harald Wolf said recently.

Meanwhile the burgeoning green fashion industry will also be represented this week at THEKEY.TO forum in Kreuzberg’s Heeresbäckerei. The three-day event will host a variety of sustainable lifestyle workshops and a green shopping event open to the public. Renate Künast, head of the Green Party is expected to speak at the opening event on January 21st.