Taking place amidst the excitement of New York Fashion Week, the inaugural CatWalk
FurBaby will bring together three incredible partners for a good cause to create a magical
moment in support of animal welfare.
The key partners will make CatWalk Furbaby such a success – ELYSIAN Magazine, a bastion of
women excellence; SohoMuse, a true creative force; and the BISSELL Pet Foundation, an
organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals across America. Together with The
Root Brands, our title sponsor, this combination will create an exciting event featuring fashion
for a good cause, the lives of pets who are the most vulnerable.
The Root Brands fall under the larger DRC Ventures umbrella spearheaded by Dr. Christina
Rahm. DRC Ventures is designed to become a global catalyst for conservation efforts to make
the world better environmentally and to leave it healthier for generations to come. Part of that
health is improving how we treat women, children, the environment and, of course, animals – an
ethos whose values align with ELYSIAN Impact, the magazine’s philanthropic arm.
Rescue pets affiliated with animal welfare organizations from across the country will join the
ranks of runway models to showcase the latest fashions at CatWalk FurBaby.
The woman leading us through the proceedings, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, is a fixture of New
York society and a seventh-generation descendant of railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, and
she is a successful entrepreneur in the technology, music, and fashion industries in her own right.
This event will also feature a competition, governed by a panel of esteemed judges who will
select a winning look. That team’s rescue organization will receive a cash prize, and many of the
designers, like Marc Bouwer, will be donating their fashion for auction to increase support for
the charities.
This event will feel intimate and exclusive, but because we are supporting rescues from across
the country, we’re offering a livestream so pet supporters from afar can engage with the
excitement. Our virtual viewers will choose a “People’s Choice” winner, who will also receive
funding for their selected organization.
The impetus for this event, the reason for bringing it all together is the welfare of animals. There
is no better organization than the BISSELL Pet Foundation, founded by Cathy Bissell as a
natural extension of her love for animals and her commitment to their welfare. The foundation’s
goal is to help reduce the number of animals in shelters and rescues and to find a loving home for
every pet. BISSELL Pet Foundation has awarded millions of dollars to its partner network of
animal welfare organizations and has impacted the lives of an incalculable number of pets.
CatWalk Furbaby is another moment the foundation can raise awareness and raise money for the
animal shelters that so desperately need it.
SohoMuse is the innovative group that brings together the best talent from all creative fields in
one place and provides the tools and features creatives need to work more efficiently, network more effectively, and increase exposure and opportunities exponentially. With their guidance and expertise in the fashion world, ELYSIAN has established an event that will highlight the best of the best. The artists and fashion designers that work with SohoMuse are particularly exciting and will provide us with an experience like no other.
ELYSIAN’s expertise in bringing together women of excellence continues here. We have been
tasked with bringing together the supporters of rescue organizations, the women who make it all
possible. CatWalk FurBaby will showcase rescues in California, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, New
York, Florida, South Carolina, and even those with a global reach.
ELYSIAN will place the cherry on top of the day with the cover reveal of our next issue.
The people and connections are what make this all meaningful – raising money and awareness
for animal welfare and having fun along the way. Supporters like The Root Brands are integral to
making it all possible, thanks to their dedication in helping vulnerable populations.
Without the combination of these groups, this event would not be possible. Engaging the upper
echelon of the fashion world on animal welfare issues, and bringing together the women of the
world who care about the pets who have no voice are the connections that matter.