The Couture by Sophie Experience
I’ll never forget what my mother told me as a girl. “Buy less, but buy good.” She loved fashion, too, and I’ve kept her advice as a guiding principle in how I shop and what I choose to buy.
Creating or buying a garment for your dog should be an experience! At Couture by Sophie, we want you and your dog to live well, and take good care of yourselves. We want you to be well-informed and to have a place to explore your own creativity.
Here, you are as much a part of the design process as you want to be. For those who relish the creative process, imagine what it’s like to work with an interior designer. From sketches to swatches and special embellishments, you will experience your wonderful garment coming together. For those who want to choose something already made, we have made to measure designs in a variety of styles, colors and fabrics to suit your personal tastes. My passion is seeing your pup in something wonderful that suits them and will last beyond the season.
Dressing our dogs, whether to protect them from the elements or to celebrate their individual personalities, is an expression of love. I can help you adorn your dog in quality comfort and creative style. Big dog or little, bully breeds or hairless, each dog is beautiful in its own way and deserves an equally beautiful wardrobe.
I choose trends from the runway that translate well for dogs and are enduring. And, when you purchase a Couture by Sophie design, you’ve acquired something special that you won’t see everywhere.
For fashion lovers like me, Couture by Sophie is also a resource for helpful tips and information. Visit our blog for advice on how to care for garments to tips on getting the best fit; from what’s trending to special finds.
At Couture by Sophie, we will periodically unveil complimentary goods we think our clients might like. So, keep an eye out for exclusive private label announcements and shopping experiences.
I’m so excited to be doing what I’m doing, and excited to create that something special for your dog.
My Story
For years, I’d been looking for ways to marry my passions – animals, fashion and making a difference. When my husband and I got our adorable Portuguese Podengo, Sophie, shown here with me at the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards, little did I know she would be the key to bringing it all together. But, isn’t that often the case? Our pets do bring it all together; they complete our families.
From representing celebrities to designing for our own little celebs
I’d recently retired from a 30-year career in entertainment PR, representing such clients as John Mellencamp, Iggy Pop, The Cure, Russell Simmons, Roger Waters and many more. I decided to go back to school to study fashion design, thinking I would create a company designing for women. I’d followed fashion trends all my life and, in my PR career, worked with designers and entertainers. One drawback? I didn’t know how to sew! So I took a course and made a practice coat for our new pup, Sophie. That was the beginning. We were stopped on the streets of New York City, our home, everywhere we went. People really seemed to like this coat. I made another one. It happened again! Pretty soon, it dawned on me that in dog fashion, I could combine my passion for animals and fashion and give back, as well.
Couture by Sophie was born. I get to design and make beautiful dog couture, and Sophie is my reluctant, sometime model (imagine a dog clothing designer with a dog that hates to wear clothes!) and definitely my muse. The materials we use are cruelty-free, so no animals were harmed in the making of Couture by Sophie designs. We also give a portion of each piece we sell to local animal shelters. It’s heartbreaking to see the sheer number of dogs and cats awaiting their forever homes. If Couture by Sophie can help, even in a small way, it’s our responsibility as fellow beings on this planet to do our part.
Our early adventures
We’ve had some fun adventures since we started the company. We learned about how manufacturing is done to produce a collection; we developed some experience seeing what customers like at retail stores; we did some promotion for the collection, walking in a New York Fashion Week runway show and participating in the celebrity gifting suite of the Golden Globes, where we got to meet actors from a variety of tv shows and films (that was fun!).
And, in 2013, I decided I also wanted to share my love of fashion and the wonderful things I discover with you. I launched an everything-dog-fashion-and-more site called Bark & Swagger . I love connecting with pet parents from all over the world, offering helpful information and fashion and designers I love.
Sophie and I would love to hear from you, so don’t be a stranger. Browse our collections, take your time and enjoy!
