Are pets becoming fashion icons? Luxury petwear is on the rise

Today, there are countless companies that offer complete ranges for pets, with stylish, luxurious, and sometimes over-the-top pieces, often at exorbitant prices. Photo: Instagram/Gucci

No longer content with just dressing humans, Gucci, Prada and Christian Louboutin are now also catering to their pets. And it's a successful move!

Clothing for four-legged friends is booming, so much so that the biggest luxury brands are getting in on the act, offering animal looks that are more stylish and extravagant than ever.

Are pets becoming fashion icons? Some would say that it's nothing new, although it was previously limited to the dogs and cats of stars and to petfluencers, the animals that are popular on social networks.

Take Doug The Pug, for example, a pug from Nashville followed by 3.7 million users on Instagram – almost as many as Lena Situations, a fashion favourite – and who is as cute as he is stylish.

Now, luxury fashion houses are working on designing complete collections for pooches, who can now step out looking just as stylish as their owners.

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The dog wears Prada

Nothing is too good for man's best friend, and luxury brands have understood this. Today, there are countless companies that offer complete ranges for pets, with stylish, luxurious, and sometimes over-the-top pieces, often at exorbitant prices.

And the most surprising thing is that these creations are perfectly in line with current trends.

Fleeces, crochet, tartan and ugly Christmas sweaters are among the options available to pets, much to their delight... or that of their owners.

This is evidenced by the house of Gucci, which, in 2022, unveiled a whole collection for dogs and cats.

And it's not just a few random items here and there, but a whole range of clothing, accessories and other household items, such as a mohair hat for €350 (RM1,627), a coat for €710 (RM3,300), a bowl for €1,400 (RM6,507), a set of travel bowls for €3,400 (RM15,802), and even a basket for €6,500 (RM30,210).

Money is no object, it seems, for some pampered pets. And there's no doubt that many owners – or adoptive parents – won't hesitate to pay the price to treat their pets, and themselves.

Prada, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Miu Miu, Barbour, Tiffany & Co, Celine and Christian Louboutin are some of the major labels that offer permanent collections for pets, and more specifically for dogs, which are one of fashion's new prime targets.

And the trend seems to have gained further ground in the last few months, with products that look just like those proposed for men, women or children.

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At the cutting edge of trends

In fact, today's pet clothes and accessories are nothing like what we've seen in the past. They are directly inspired by the human clothing that the same luxury brands showcase every year on the fashion week runways. Indeed, Pitti Uomo, which kicked off men's fashion week in Italy, introduced a new section dedicated entirely to clothes and accessories for pets, called Pittipets. It wouldn't even be surprising to soon see runway models accompanied by these faithful companions, in fully matching looks.

You just have to visit the e-stores of the biggest luxury houses to realize that the clothes proposed for dogs and cats are directly inspired by the catwalks. There's the famous flag sweater and a quilted jacket at Ralph Lauren, Prada has a nylon down jacket with hood among items that the brand says are inspired by models in the men's and women's collections. A Monogram canvas dog carrier is presented as a revisited version of the classic Louis Vuitton bag, and Christian Louboutin has leashes directly inspired by its famous shoes. Enough to build an entire wardrobe for your dog.

Already well established, the trend has not finished growing, according to figures revealed by The Guardian. The British newspaper reports that the global petwear market is expected to be worth $7 billion by 2032, with an annual growth rate of 5%. A golden opportunity for brands that have clearly found a new way to diversify their business.