The red carpet–and William/Kate—inspire this ex-banker

TACO in one-piece maroon tuxedo
KISSES in orange summer dress made of Thai silk PHOTOS: ARNOLD ALMACEN

It wasn’t Taco’s first time to dress up—like, really dress up. The five-year-old male chihuahua has worn formal wear before. On this overcast afternoon, Taco looked very dapper and sharp in his maroon tuxedo. And he smiled for the camera, too.

Like a real gentleman in  tux, Taco was calm and quiet, oblivious to the circus around him. And what a circus it was—of dogs in different shapes, sizes and temperaments, all suited up and barking.

As the photographer snapped photos of Black I, the Parsons Jack Russell dressed in a  layered number made of organza, chiffon and Chinese shantung, a groomer was styling the long coat of Kisses, a Schnauzer propped on a table.

Meantime, Taco sat quietly on his chair, appearing attentive to what pet couture designer Bernie Alfonso Leytte was saying.

“Some people come up to me and say I’m humanizing the pets. I don’t look at it that way. I see this as pampering the pets. It’s not like they wear gowns or dresses every day,” Leytte said.

BERNIE Leytte with the dolled-up pooches
PARSON Russell Black I in green layered China silk shantung with flower design inspired by brooch

A former bank senior manager, the young Leytte started designing pet clothes as a hobby six years ago by recycling some of her old ones and deconstructing them to fit her pet pooch. An old bonnet, for instance, was transformed into her dog’s sweater when she put holes in it to fit the head and the legs.

Leytte knows dressmaking—for people. She grew up observing her grandmother, who loved clothes and created dresses, and was used to the sight of two or three sewing machines in the house.

When she started making clothes for pets, it all came back to her naturally. Soon, she was dressing up her friends’ pets, until one day, another friend decided to take it a step further by requesting a specially made gown—for a fee, of course.

“It was also about the same time my mother-in-law decided to set up a pet shop in Tiendesitas. Not wanting to pass up an entrepreneurial opportunity, I decided to sell some of my creations in her shop,” she said.

CLAIRE the miniature Schnauzer is wearing a flamenco-inspired number in satin with a 50-inch train
KIWI the poodle likes to show off that he can walk on his hind legs.

Today, Leytte is one of about only three pet couture designers in the country. Her label, Doodles Pet Couture, also has a line of RTW, and its Facebook fan page already has close to 6,000 fans. She gets orders from the Visayas and Mindanao, and even from neighboring Asian countries.

Long gown with pearls

It usually takes anywhere from one day to two to three weeks to make a gown. One gown that took her a month to finish was a special request from a customer abroad. It was for a wedding, and the long gown had pearls, with other materials and fabrics sent from abroad.

She said designing clothes for pets can be tricky, especially for males. They need to have their body length, legs and girth measured. Since she gets many orders from out of town, Leytte makes sure her clients get the measurements right by watching them measure their pets in real time over FaceTime.

Females need only have their neck and chest measured. She designs the gown according to what inspires her.

CHIHUAHUAS Garlic, Syrup and Tomato in blue organza gowns embellished with rhinestones

“My creativity and fashion sense are based on what I want. I pick up designs by watching fashion trends abroad, by watching the red carpet. I don’t look at dog gowns,” Leytte said.

The headdresses are inspired by those she saw during the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate.

Leytte chooses fabrics and designs clothes with the pet’s comfort in mind. She has turned down offers to do gowns using heavy fabrics or outrageous designs.

PIZZA the pug donning an RTW of full-sequined disco party dress
BOSTON terrier Bella looks fetching in this RTW dress

Last Halloween, for example, some people wanted their toy breeds to drag around big coffins as part of the costume. Leytte politely said no.

Do not make the mistake, too, of showing magazine cutouts of pet gowns. “I don’t copy designs. I make my own designs. We can sit down and discuss what you want, but don’t ask me to make copies.”

Mobile (0922) 8158864,  e-mail doodlespawcouture@yahoo.com. Doodles Pet Couture’s RTW line  available online at Facebook fan page.

All dogs courtesy of Domino Haus Kennel.

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