Special Dogs in the Workplace

He's an award-winning New York fashion designer whose work is written about in GQ, New York Magazine and Vogue and spoken of glowingly by the fashion glitterati.

But in the trendy Greenwich Village neighborhood where John Bartlett, creative director of Liz Claiborne's men's collection, lives and works, it's constant companion Tiny Tim who gets the most attention.

When the two stroll to the chichi shop where Bartlett sells his own upscale line and custom work, folks call to Tiny Tim and reach out to give him a pat.

And then the dog — a three-legged, mixed-breed mutt — settles in near the front door of the elegant shop with its quiet air of perfect breeding, to spread his own special brand of customer service.

"A lot of people are drawn in because they see him from the sidewalk," Bartlett says.

So besotted is the designer with Tiny Tim that the logo on his store is a three-legged dog, and that image appears on the patch of his line of pricey jeans.

"I couldn't be luckier," says Bartlett, who got the dog from North Shore Animal League America seven years ago. When Bartlett visited the shelter on his 40th birthday, he was captivated by the "soulful eyes" of long-termer Tiny Tim, so named because he had arrived at the shelter severely injured. His leg was amputated Christmas Eve.

In Bartlett's circle, there are a lot of "status dogs," he acknowledges; sometimes someone will deride his tri-pawed dog of indeterminate genetics. Bartlett is untroubled.

"That tells me a lot about that person," as does the reaction of most people, who find Tiny Tim irresistible.

Several more Workplace dogs from around the country.

[Source: USAToday]

Pet Fashion Week in Toyko

It's exciting to hear that Pet Fashion Week took place in Tokyo on January 12 & 13. Japanese fashion designers are known for their striking avant-garde looks and we hope to see more innovative styles in doggie couture.

The Tokyo Project runway shows will explore the combination of personality, creativity, and tradition that make New York City a fashion capital. Ten selected pet apparel and accessory designers will present demi-couture, avant-garde collections to an audience of 40,000 end consumers. The designs, created specifically for the event, will reflect the spectacular energy of the city and the diversity of the different neighborhoods throughout history. Designers have been hand-picked by Pet Fashion Week NY to represent the best in the pet fashion industry.

[Source: Pet Fashion Week]

Fall Preview: Oscar Newman

Oscar Newman usually designs very girly girl items, with lots of pink and ruffles. We were please to see some "masculine" touches for this fall, such as the houndstooth and argyle. It's preppy with a bling touch!

Fall Preview: Emma Rose Design

We met up with Carol and Sherry, the design team behind Emma Rose Design, at Pet Fashion Week(end). Their hottest pieces? The metallic leather dresses! I was drooling over all the colors, red, lime green, turquoise and fuchsia. These are truly gorgeous dresses and I hinted to them that they should make a matching one for us 2-leggers. If your dog has one of these, you can be sure she is at the top of the fashion food chain. Fabulous!

Fall Preview: George

It's that time of the year when your fashion magazines are the size of the Yellow Pages. We're looking forward to seeing the new fall styles and recently met up with one of our favoritest dog clothes and accessories designers, George. Known for their clean, modern designs and fashionable colors, George does not disappoint. This season we have functional, tough-wearing, rain-proof corda shell jackets in bold colors and pleasing contrasting trim. Their bedding color palette is a gentle smoky-gray-blue-green, made in their signature corduroy. It's stylish, well-constructed and fun! Check back for more fall previews!