Dog fashion: the next step for luxury brands?

Moncler, the Italian label best known for its luxury down jackets, has partnered up with dog clothing brand Poldo Dog Couture to launch a special collection for our four-legged friends. Featuring jackets, waistcoats and hoodies, the capsule aims to “ensure that dogs can face harsh winters in perfect warmth and total comfort”, according to a company statement. Available in Moncler’s stores and select retailers worldwide, the pieces cost between 295 euro (335 US dollars) and 390 euro (444 US dollars).

Moncler, Moschino, Heron Preston: high fashion turns to man’s best friend

The news comes just two weeks after the release of H&M’ s collaboration with Moschino, which also included items for pets, marking the first time both the Swedish fast fashion giant and the tongue-in-cheek fashion house make clothing for non-humans.

Last month, another famous designer ventured into pet fashion too. Heron Preston teamed up with New York-based Very Important Puppies (VIP) to launch a streetwear-inspired line of dog clothing and accessories. With jackets that match Preston’s own line and leashes that resemble his belts, the collection plays with the “mini me” trend that started with childrenswear.

But before luxury labels started to offer pet clothing themselves, other brands had already noticed a growing demand for fashionable items for dogs. Earlier this year, Balenciaga filed a lawsuit against an American company using the name “Pawlanciaga” to brand its products. In 2007, Louis Vuitton lost a similar legal battle against a company called Haute Diggity Dog, which sold pet toys under the name “ Chewy Vuitton”. According to legal fashion news website The Fashion Law, Haute Diggity Dog won the case by arguing that the brand was meant to be a parody and had no intention to mislead consumers into thinking the products were made by Louis Vuitton.

Pictures: courtesy of Moncler, courtesy of Moschino x H&M, courtesy of VIP