NEW YORK (AP) — Despite the name, the Pet Gala is where dogs truly steal the spotlight.
On Monday night, designer Anthony Rubio hosted the annual fashion extravaganza at New York’s American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog. The event saw 18 dogs prancing down the red carpet, each dressed in couture inspired by the Met Gala, which had taken place just two weeks earlier.
Rubio was keen to clarify that the Pet Gala is a tribute, not a parody. “We’re not making fun of the Met Gala. We’re honoring and celebrating the incredible designs showcased at the Met Gala by the world’s top designers,” he explained.
Tickets to the Pet Gala were priced at $300, with proceeds supporting the museum, akin to how the Met Gala benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
The canine models were primarily small breeds—a shih tzu played the role of Chris Hemsworth—but there was also a Leonberger on the runway. Representations of Met Gala stars included Daffodil the Pomeranian as Jennifer Lopez, Kimba the chihuahua as Zendaya, Miley-Jo the Chorkie as Cardi B, and Bastian the terrier as Colman Domingo. This year’s theme, “Garden of Time,” paralleled the Met’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibit.
Rubio mentioned that the dogs’ outfits will be on display at the Museum of the Dog throughout June.
“Photographers always say that working with kids and animals is the toughest job. Not for me,” said Rubio, who dedicated extensive effort to adapt the garments in a short period. “I actually find people much harder to work with because dogs don’t complain. In my world, dogs aren’t forced to wear anything they don’t want to.”
The AKC Museum’s red carpet had its share of minor mishaps, unlike the typically pristine Met Gala, but nothing as notable as Messi the dog’s recent appearance on the Cannes carpet.
Rubio concluded with a hopeful message for Met Gala’s Anna Wintour: “If Anna Wintour is listening, I would love to be the first to walk the Met Gala red carpet with a canine model in full canine couture. Just putting it out there.”