Elegant, tailored outfits are not reserved just for fashionistas in Italy — couture for dogs is proving a hit with some Milan pet owners.
Man’s best friend should not be overlooked when it comes to cashmere sweaters and woolen coats, according to designer Giovanna Temellini, who enables the fashion conscious to match their style with that of their pooch.
“Everything is born out of love,” says the 57-year-old, who has been in the fashion industry for 25 years working for labels such as Bottega Veneta and Armani and is an active supporter of animal welfare groups. One evening just under a year ago in her workshop, Temellini recalled, her daughter said to her: “You do so many little things for all the dogs...” referring to her animal protection voluntary work. “But when it rains, mine gets his ears all wet,” her daughter said.
Photo: AFP
The following evening a member of her design team set to work making a hooded coat for the pet, to match the winter jacket of Temellini’s daughter.
From there sprung her made-to-measure fashion line just for dogs entitled Temellini Dog A Porter, with its first shop opening this month.
Her staff use a dog-shaped mannequin to create a range of sizes for different breeds, including dobermans, basset hounds and greyhounds.
But for each commission, the canine customer has its measurements taken to ensure a snug fit.
BECAUSE DOGS ARE WORTH IT
One dark gray jacket from her dogs’ range sports a high collar with buttons down the front, with the fabric matching a woman’s over-sized coat from Temellini’s main collection, for women, which she began 15 years ago. But the focus on high-quality fabrics and stylish cuts means a cashmere T-shirt costs 142 euros (US$171), a merino wool bomber jacket 212 euros and a coat with small pockets 252 euros.
One customer snapped up an entire wardrobe for his dog, adopted from a shelter, because after what she had been through, “she deserved it.”
Twenty-four year-old student, Beatrice Gerevini, who likes to coordinate her dog’s outfit with her own, said it helps the pair to “create a connection”.
It is also “a sort of game, a way of being noticed — people smile when they see us”. Temellini, who continues to do some work for other labels too, says she wants to create a collection suitable for all dogs, including those with disabilities. “I am very respectful and attentive to all the requirements of dogs which are to be able to move, run, get dirty and socialize.
“I refuse to do something that would restrict or ridicule a dog, because they’ll be aware of it.”
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
On Monday morning, in quick succession, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) released statements announcing “that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and General Secretary Xi Jinping (習近平) have invited KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to lead a delegation on a visit to the mainland” as the KMT’s press release worded it. The KMT’s press release added “Chairwoman Cheng expressed her gratitude for the invitation and has gladly accepted it.” Beijing’s official Xinhua news release described Song Tao (宋濤), head of the Taiwan Work Office of the CCP Central Committee, as
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
RSS