BETHLEHEM, Pa – Shimmering coats over long fluffy hair? Yes, dogs can slay the runway, too.
On Saturday Lara Bly, boutique women’s wear designer at Lara Bly Designs, saw to it that 8 dogs and their owner-companions walk down the runway in glitz-y sequins and matching outfits.
- Lara Bly Designs, owned by Lara Bly, hosted its first-ever dog fashion show on Saturday in collaboration with Big Dog Bourbon
- Dogs and their owners modeled matching, high-fashion outfits for a packed room at Venture X Bethlehem
- 10% of proceeds from the event will go to the Last Chance Ranch animal rescue and the Bethlehem Police K-9 unit
The event was packed with attendees at Venture x Bethlehem to see the latest creations of Bly and team in the company’s first-ever dog fashion show.
Cassy Trauger from Bethlehem said she came out after her daughter saw a post on Instagram about the event.
“The dogs and how they match – it’s been cute,” Trauger said.
To bring [together] dogs and bourbon? That’s an exceptionally fantastic night in the Lehigh Valley.Fashion show attendee Victoria Harding
Dog moms and their pups donned matching sequin shirts, skirts and dresses from casual wear to glamorous evening attire at the show. The dogs and their owners appeared excited to greet people as they strolled the runway.
Victoria Harding said she has been a long time fan of Lara Bly, ever since discovered Bly's shop and found that the designed would custom tailor her designs.
Harding said she became a fan immediately, got on Bly’s mailing list.
“To bring [together] dogs and bourbon? That’s an exceptionally fantastic night in the Lehigh Valley,” Harding said.
Big Dog Bourbon partnered with Bly on the event, and10% of all sales will go to the Last Chance Ranch animal rescue and the Bethlehem Police K-9 Unit.
Harding said she doesn’t have a dog, but the event has inspired her to consider adopting a pup.
Attendees at the event could purchase Bly's designs, which ranged from $20 for a t-shirt to $375 for evening gowns.
The first dress of the evening featured Reese Maddox, Lara Bly's house model. She wore the pink high slit gown that featured dark pink flowers on a black backless double side slit dress.
The first dog to walk Lara Bly's runway
The idea for the event came from Bly's fashion show in November for her fall/winter collection, when one of the models brought a puppy to a dress rehearsal. A friend of Bly’s exclaimed that there should be a dog fashion show .
Coincidentally, one of the seamstresses who works for Bly also used to work at a dog coat factory.
“Let’s say she didn’t enjoy making dog coats for a living, we had an inside joke that ‘Thank god she worked here because it’s more glamorous than the dog coat factory,'” Bly said.
The two discussed the reality that for evening women’s wear the winter months, January and February, tend to be a bit slower, while those months are busy in the dog fashion industry.
Bly’s seamstress joked that they should put on a dog fashion show to capitalize on that business. So they started organizing the event in December.
The event was catered by Bethlehem restaurant Roasted, which supplied black beluga lentil caviar, mini quiches and sushi.
