Betty Bes
Dog clothing and accessories designer
Doginparis.com
With designer Betty Bes in charge, a dog's life can be rather cushy. Founder of Dog in Paris, a pet clothing and accessories company, Bes caters to a pet-pampering customer with runway-based designs for collars, knit coats and totes. She spoke with WWD correspondent Molly Fergus about the popularity of haute canine couture.
WWD.COM: How did your company get started?
Betty Bes: Dog In Paris got started about four years ago. I was working for world-renowned designers such as Max Mara and Yves Saint Laurent in Paris and I though it would be interesting to explore the high-fashion dog market. Well before Paris Hilton was photographed dressing up Tinkerbell, no one really believed in the concept of haute couture customized accessories for dogs. There wasnęt really a market for it at the time, but I knew that if I offered it, demand would be there.
WWD.COM: What did your first design look like?
Betty Bes: I started designing accessories for my two dogs, Duchka and Gucci. I can remember the first collar that I did for Gucci was a fuchsia python collar with an Eiffel Tower Swarovski pendant, and Duchka had a collar in Stingray. It took me a couple days to design them and manufacture them, but they both looked so good. Everywhere I would go with them, people would stop me and would ask me where I bought them. Countless times I would come back to the mansion with no collar for Duchka or no lead for Gucci. I was having such a success at that time that I decided to create Dog In Paris and to work full-time growing the business. My mission is to design one-of-a-kind outfits and accessories that are manufactured with the techniques and savoir faire of haute couture, using the finest materials. We evolve with the demand of our clients, and we grow that way.
WWD.COM: Can you describe your typical customer?
Betty Bes: Our customers aren't easy to assimilate to a category; they are all very different and they are looking for a different experience, something unique. Since all our products are handmade, we can really adapt ourselves to the client and manufacture the piece they have been looking for.
WWD.COM: Each of your designs is modeled off of runway shows. How do you translate women's high-fashion designs into clothing for pets?
Betty Bes: My duty and passion as a designer is to attend Paris Fashion Week and get a preview of the upcoming trends and styles. I then go to Italy to look for leathers and exotic skins and design my new collection. My inspiration also comes from my travels and experiences. Last spring, I designed a safari collection inspired by Dolce & Gabbana and Yves Saint Laurent, and also from my Safari in West Africa last December. It takes several months to design a new collection because I need not only to design but also find the materials that will match my vision. For that, I travel to Italy to find the right supplier and the right materials, and I also look at what's new for buckles.
WWD.COM: What role do you think pet accessories play in the fashion industry?
Betty Bes: A lot of designers have started to incorporate dogs into their runway because they know that it is a fast-growing market and that the demand is very high. You also start seeing more and more doggy fashion shows where the model itself fades away to showcase the dog's outfit or accessories. I think that this is a very new concept for the fashion industry.
WWD.COM: Besides the influence of celebrities like Paris Hilton, why do you think your customers like to dress their pets in stylish accessories and clothes?
Betty Bes: I believe that the dog is very important in everyone's family; it is a best friend and sometimes even more. People want the best for their pets, and when companies started to offer dogs accessories, massages and spas, the demand was there. Another reason is because of the trend of having smaller dogs that you take everywhere with you, you want them to match with your outfit and to look cute.
