Dogs Taken On Runway For Cruelty Free Purposes At New York Fashion Week

The vegan fad may be popular right now, but it wasn’t always like that.

New York fashion designer Marc Bouwer remembers long before big name fashion houses banned fur.

“Animals are my passion and I have been at the forefront of fighting for cruelty-free fashion since the 1980s,” said Bouwer, after walking the runway for New York Fashion Week.

She wore a luxury silver outfit with a model and a dog on a leash (who also wore silver) at Sony Hall as part of the CatWalk FurBaby Elysian Impact runway show, which raised funds for Bissell Pets Foundation.

“Today many fashion brands have stopped using fur in their collections,” said Bouwer. “I am passionate about saving animals; people spend thousands of dollars buying dogs from breeders, but every day, there are dogs that are euthanized. Don’t shop, adopt.”

That’s the sign of protest—and the message—that Bouwer brought up while on the catwalk yesterday. But he is not alone.

Luxury brand Elysian presents the runway show with nine other performances, brought to you by Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, founder of SohoMuse, a social network for the creative industries. “The fashion designers here are dedicated to the cause.”

Designers like Malan Breton and Nicole Miller showcased their outfits on the runway by models walking the catwalk with rescue dogs from 10 different animal rescue organizations around the country, including Big Dog Ranch of Florida and Jameson Humane of Napa Valley.

Each look is judged by a panel of celebrity judges spearheaded by New York Fashion Week founder Fern Mallis alongside supermodel Carol Alt and actress Karen Abercrombie. After the runway show, the judges distribute awards to animal welfare organizations that pair up with fashion designers, rescue pets, and runway models.

The winner was Global Strays, a New York-based organization that showcased Gloria Lee’s clothing modeled by Quinn Copeland, who walked the runway alongside wild chihuahuas.

The event showcased the luxury eco-friendly fashion line ‘Enviremware’ in partnership with DRC Ventures, a conservation company founded by Dr. Christina Rahm, and Root Brands.

“This is the first time fashion, animals and charity have come together at New York Fashion Week,” said Karen Floyd, founder of Elysian.

“We do it in a way that benefits the lives of countless pets. It adds a layer of meaning that will not soon be forgotten.”

The Enviremware line looks like your typical eco-fashion item on the runway, however, each piece of clothing features a protective coating of nano-biotech technology that protects the wearer from electromagnetic radiation.

Among the attendees, attendees included philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, boxer Evander Holyfield, Allison Ecung and Karen Floyd, CEO of The Palladian Group, who gave speeches on the runway.

One participant, philanthropist Lizzie Asher said: “We came for fashion but I got so carried away by the cause. I think it’s about doing good for everyone.”

Casey Kohlberg, a writer, added: “It’s always great to see fashion as a force for good because it’s such a huge industry, seeing that working is always key.”

Cynthia Basinet, the singer who sat in the front row, said that the fashion industry is changing. “It’s so important to put the cause we fight for so much into fashion,” he said.

“The fashion industry is changing, the cruelty is in all categories. You often touch chemicals in fashion. We can’t just talk. We have to accept it. Fashion has so much exposure. If we don’t try to incorporate environmental causes, like the jeans industry, people won’t notice.”