Fashionable pet parents are splurging on their animal friends more than ever

Edmond Goyard of Maison Goyard has been making accessories for dogs, cats and monkeys since the 1890s. Photo: Instagram/Goyard

For countless families, furry companions are not just pets; they are beloved members of the household.

Offering emotional support and joy to their owners by merely looking cute, pet ownership the world over is booming, with people upping their spending on their pet cats and dogs.

Basic needs like food, shelter and medical care are just the starting point, but many are going above and beyond, indulging their felines and canines with stylish apparel and accessories from renowned fashion houses.

In the UK, the pet care market has grown into a £10bil (RM56.3bil) industry, a large portion driven by a shift towards luxury products, according to a recent article on forbes.com.

Brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Hermes have all ventured into pet fashion, offering an array of chic clothing, embellished collars and leads, fashionable carriers and even scarves, bandanas and fragrances.

You don’t even need to look too far to find utterly spoiled pets – Malaysian hijab entrepreneur Haliza Maysuri made waves early this year for throwing her cat, Money, a lavish birthday party at a Louis Vuitton store.

At the event, Money was dressed in a custom-made long sparkling gown, and she was gifted a collar from the brand which cost approximately RM3,000.

Pet accessories like travel bags and apparel feature are favourites for luxury brands. Photo: Dolce & Gabbana

Whether or not you are the type to gift your pooch a Hermes dog bandana for RM950 or a Prada dog harness for RM4,550; or present your cat with a RM1,300 Gucci cat collar, the luxury pet care industry is definitely a booming sector.

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Household items

Beds for pets have long been a staple, but brands are taking comfort levels for dogs and cats to the next extent with lavish home furnishings.

These beds aren’t your standard human hand-me-down, as brands like Versace offer padded pet beds with luxurious trims and removable interior cushions.

Louis Vuitton recently unveiled a genuine leather kennel trunk, which reportedly comes with a staggering price of approximately RM284,000.

Designed by the brand’s creative director, musician Pharrell Williams, the piece creatively transforms the fashion house’s traditional hardside case into a magnificent doghouse.

From the 1890s, Edmond Goyard of Maison Goyard began selling accessories for dogs, cats and monkeys.

Today, apart from collars, leashes and pet travel bags, Goyard produces bowls for pets, borrowing many signature design references and codes from their human collections.

These include two Goyard-engraved bowls, ideal for separating food and water, constructed from premium cowhide.

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Accessories galore

In 2022, Gucci expanded its universe with an entire collection for pets which included a range of clothing, accessories, a hat, coat bowls and a basket.

The ongoing range sees the logos, materials and symbols intrinsically linked to the brand reinterpreted in miniature.

Popular items include pet collars in different shapes and sizes which you can even engrave with your pet’s name or initials, with some sold including fancy charms.

Dolce & Gabbana’s latest collection for pets features an exclusive selection of apparel and accessories for dogs, from artfully designed shirts to stylish carrier bags and cozy knitwear.

Deck your four-legged friends out in style with t-shirts and polos, collars with branded tags as well as harnesses and carriers showcasing refined details.

High-priced pet accessories like this dog bandana for RM950 are growing in popularity. Photo: Hermes

Winter jackets and raincoats also feature heavily in several collections, for example a nylon Fendi dog coat featuring the FF motif in shades of brown and tobacco.

Finished with a collar and a removable strap, this item offers an extra layer of warmth for your beloved pooch.

Hermes’s canine collection tells a story of a range that follows fashion as well as time periods.

From the 19th century, designers played with materials, colours and motifs to create collars suited for specific towns, races or hunts, and today, an updated collection takes inspiration from the equestrian world.

Items like a dog bandana, pouches, mats, leashes and raincoats features the brand’s design codes, including full grain leather and saddle stitch.