We choose our companions with care, and lately luxury fashion has quickly acknowledged the same gentle truth: pets hold a presence that deepens every story worth telling. They enter the frame not as costumed novelties, but as essential elements—a devoted dog standing alongside models in golden afternoon light, a single breed embodying the season’s mood in one unposed moment, or the faint silhouette of a pup embroidered across a cashmere sweater. Houses now feature these four-legged companions as authentic style icons, weaving them carefully through campaigns, small accessories, and catwalks to honor what has always felt instinctive: the bond of timeless elegance and the warmth of true companionship.
The surge is unmistakable. Gucci’s dachshund bag charm—crafted in leather with patent red shine, canvas brushed in bright multicolored accents, or vivid neon—continues to grace owners’ bags across social feeds and stories, a small, affectionate gesture that draws quiet smiles from passersby. Vogue’s “Dogue” campaign reached a new peak in 2025: more than fifty thousand entries arrived for the open call, and Tango claimed the digital cover. Pet owners have begun creating dedicated social media accounts for their animals, giving rise to the modern notion of the “pet influencer.” None of this feels artificial; it simply permits animals to remain precisely themselves—magnetic in the most natural way—and the photographs come alive as a result.
That same understated pull surfaces on runways and in lookbooks. Louis Vuitton positioned Welsh Corgis, English Cocker Spaniels, and others across wide, open fields in the Spring/Summer 2025 and 2026 pre-collection campaigns, allowing the dogs to move freely through landscapes that embody the house’s storied romance with travel; the clothing and the animals simply share the same soft light. Thom Browne has welcomed his dachshund Hector into campaigns and permitted him to influence certain designs. Throughout New York Fashion Week, these appearances introduce a rare softness, a reminder that even the loftiest work can feel intimate and human.
None of this arrives as something entirely new. It revives an old, familiar thread. Centuries ago, Egyptians placed jeweled collars around their dogs’ necks to signify rank and protection. By the close of the nineteenth century, Goyard already offered refined pet pieces. Polo Ralph Lauren shaped the contemporary version—cashmere sweaters carrying embroidered dogs, outfits that mirrored the owner’s wardrobe—so pets appeared as natural extensions of the same refined taste. Burberry and Hermès sustained the tradition with thoughtful collars and leashes. Social media along with our current understanding of animals as family have merely amplified the volume, always preserving humane intent: the emphasis remains on inspiration, never on anything imposed.
The industry advances in alignment with that spirit. Last December the Council of Fashion Designers of America announced that, beginning September 2026, real fur from farmed or trapped animals will no longer appear in collections presented on the official New York Fashion Week schedule. A narrow exemption remains for Indigenous traditional practices, yet the intention stands clear: fashion chooses to lead with deliberate care.
ELYSIAN has followed this path for years, gently threading animals into the center of our work. Karen Floyd, our Founder and Publisher, brings her steady companion Buddy to the office every morning; his calm presence shifts the atmosphere in the most welcoming way. That same regard—for animals, for meaningful giving, for living with clear intention—gave life to CatWalk FurBaby.
CatWalk FurBaby, produced by Runway 7 has kicked off New York Fashion Week three years in a row. 2026 will mark its fourth year. Models in haute couture walk beside adoptable dogs, transforming the presentation into something at once beautiful and essential. The event supports more than twenty charities and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for rescues, illuminating stories that might otherwise remain unseen.
We look toward this September with genuine anticipation. Join us for the 4th annual CatWalk FurBaby. Allow the fashion to move you, allow the purpose to linger, and if the timing aligns, perhaps welcome home a companion whose quiet grace will remain near for years to come. True luxury has always resided in the depth of those bonds.