Who let the dogs out (on the runway)?

MANILA, Philippines - Animals in clothing was always kind of a joke, especially if you were Paris Hilton’s petrified chihuahua, Tinkerbell. (It’s also Paris Hilton’s fault why I’m reluctant to admit that I have two chihuahuas. They are loving, loyal and affectionate dogs, okay? Stop judging me.) People who dress their pets in clothing are usually seen as a little extravagant, considering animals already have a kind of protective covering built right on to their skin: fur. Also, people who carry around their pets in designer handbags are insufferable.

That all changed in 2007, however, when an adorable little critter in couture appeared on the Internet. Her name was Fifi Lapin and every day, she paired couture with her signature accessory: bunny ears — her own, not the Louis Vuitton fall/winter 2009 kind. From Alexander McQueen to her current obsession with Mary Katrantzou, Fifi has worn them all. In fact, one could say that she become famous for wearing off-the-runway looks before Anna Dello Russo ever did. Her online presence was so refreshing in a sea of strart-up fashion bloggers that it prompted Vogue to hail her as “An unlikely — but powerful — fashion force.” While a lot of people would dismiss her as much ado about nothing more than an illustrated bunny wearing runway looks, Fifi did what most animals wearing clothing couldn’t: not look stupid.

As as a result of her penchant for high fashion, Fifi broke out in the mainstream with a highly successful Artist In Residence collection for Le Sportsac in 2009, along with a line of T-shirts for Forever 21. She also had a capsule collection of scarves, sketchbooks and greeting cards for Juicy Couture and the release of her book What Shall I Wear Today: Style Secrets of a Furry Fashionista in 2011. Not bad for a fictional “hare-ess.”

Around the same time as Fifi’s rise in popularity, director Wes Anderson adapted beloved Roald Dahl book Fantastic Mr. Fox and reimagined it in his signature  vintage-inspired aesthetic. For people who had grown used to the characters in their childhood storybooks dressing like Winnie the Pooh, Anderson’s dapper take on Mr. Fox was a welcome change.

Today, stylish animals are starting to infiltrate Tumblr. You know how some people kind of look like animals? Fashimals took that idea one step further and dared to reimagine the most recognizable people in the fashion industry as the furry creatures they resemble most. Some are spot on, like Anna Wintour as a menacing sphynx cat, Grace Coddington as a dove and Alber Elbaz as an owl. Others are obviously just for laughs, like creepy Uncle Terry Richardson as a lemur in plaid and Daphne Guinness as flamingo, although those are pretty accurate too.

Next, there’s Wear This To That, which also features illustrated animals — real and mythical — wearing runway pieces, like a turkey in Rag & Bone, a unicorn in Junya Watanabe and corgi in a Moncler puffer. Word. In an interview with The Daily Beast, creators Heather Pieske and Jeffrey Kieslich, said “We were trying to find an animal that’s awkward. The most ridiculous animal to wear the Miu Miu glitter booties. So we came up with the pygmy goat. It’s a goat in booties.” Their ideas first germinated last November. Today, The Daily Beast reports that they’ve “accumulated thousands of followers, and they started to receive press requests and interest from editors.”

More recently, a new menswear blog on Tumblr popped up called Menswear Dog featuring a stud looking so fresh, so clean — undoubtedly much more than you’ve ever been. Need proof? On the site, Menswear Dog describes himself as “three-year-old shiba inu living in NYC with a panache for all things style. His interests include never washing his selvage denim, lurking around Soho for someone to notice his steez, and sniffing fine a$$ b*tches.” That’s right. Menswear Dog’s just fresh like that. The site only launched a few days ago, but GQ.com already proclaimed it as their favorite new style blog.

While it is still incredibly tacky to stuff your toy dog in a LV Neverfull, dressing your pets up is admittedly starting to look more appealing, especially with The Fresh Prince of Menswear Dog around. So next time you see somebody walking their tricked-out pooch along High Street, try not to judge. Not everybody has a kid as cute as Suri Cruise whom they can dress up.