Fashion Gods? No, Fashion Dogs
Fashion has gone to the dogs, literally. A handful of tastemaking designers have given man's best friend pride of place in their latest collections, proving that their bark is better than their bite.
This canine fixation is less of a trend proper and more of a coincidental overlap of interests, albeit one that's remarkably consistent. I mean, who doesn't love dogs?
Kiko Kostadinov certainly does. At his Spring/Summer 2025 womenswear runway show, designers Laura & Deanna Fanning transformed Kostadinov's dog, Dante, into an all-over pattern for a collaborative Levi's denim set.
This is paean to the divine hound instantly recalls a pair of jeans only just released for Dries Van Noten FW24 except those were printed with Scott, Van Noten's adorable Airedale Terrier. Same wavelength, different doge.
Speaking of Airedale Terriers, they're surprisingly important to Tyler, the Creator's artistic practice. Like, the "Dogtooth" singer truly adores this breed.
le FLEUR*, Tyler's higher-end clothing line, has been celebrating Darryl, his preferred Airedale, for a couple sequential drops as of late.
First, there was the Darryl polo, a shirt stitched with a little Darryl insignia.
It's cute, canine variation on the Polo Ralph Lauren pony equally true to Tyler's preppy steeze, but a lot more personal.
Almost immediately after, le FLEUR* partnered with Tyler's usual sneaker partner, Converse, to create a handful of collaborative Chuck Taylor sneakers printed with, yes, Darryl's adorable mug. Cute!
And Tyler's not only bringing his favorite hound to his own brand.
Tyler took Darryl along for his Louis Vuitton joyride. Not only did the pooch's photogenic mug model alongside Tyler in the collection's lookbook but Darryl also likely inspired some of the accompanying accessories, including an LV-monogrammed dog leash. Talk about throwin' him a bone (I'm sorry)!
Pharrell, Louis Vuitton's creative director and a big-time inspo to Tyler, must've liked what he saw, because the LV Pre-SS25 menswear collection put forth plenty more photogenic pooches.
Yes, there really is something in the air. Or maybe that's just dander.
Fashion has always adored animals. This we know. There's never not been a proliferation of wild patterns, for instance, from cheetah print to this season's cowhide fixation.
There are specific deviations, to be sure. Earlier this year, for instance, designers got similarly personal with cat prints, another pet homage that dovetails with the PUMA Speedcat, a red-hot racing sneaker.
But between all these runway highlights and the pups that owned Cannes, 2024 is the year that fashion started looking really ruff. Thank the fashion gods. Er, fashion dogs.
