In an interview this past February, actor and downtown New York fashion icon Chloë Sevigny made a comment that shook the city's retriever, Frenchie, collie, and doodle owners to their cores.
“The athleisure and the dogs are taking over, and that’s really unfortunate,” she told Rolling Stone. “Everybody’s in Lululemon and has a f*cking dog, and it’s driving me crazy. I’m sorry, dog lovers. There are too many of you.”
It sparked a debate over whether dogs belong in New York City, which is still playing out on Reddit threads and NextDoor forums. It maybe even suggested that their owners are fundamentally unchic, too. My view at Rachel Antonoff and Susan Alexandra's New York Fashion Week Spring 2025 show on Sept. 6 could have been seen as a rebuttal against citizens and fashion people sharing Sevigny's point of view.
At "Best in Show," Rachel Antonoff and Susan Korn cast influential New Yorkers—like critic Naomi Fry, writer Tavi Gevinson, and actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan—as handlers for adoptable dogs from local rescue organizations including Animal Haven and Muddy Paws, in a show that could put Westminster to shame. (At least in terms of the vibes.) Each pair took a turn about a red-carpeted ring wearing Rachel Antonoff's clothing and Susan Alexandra's beaded accessories. Somebody Somewhere star Bridget Everett "judged" while comedians Jacqueline Novak and Kate Berlant complimented the dogs' swooshy tails and prancy walks in faux-whispers.
Between the giggles in the audience when a dog would give up on walking around the ring and demand to be carried, and the heaps of rainbow beads shining on their collars and leashes, it was obvious that this show was about having fun. How could it not be, when the likes of supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Ashley Graham were replaced by the likes of "Lunchbox," "Sweet Frank," and "Peachy"? I overheard more than one guest debating whether to apply for one of the puppies in search of a home after an especially adorable walk.
More importantly for this editor, the whole set-up argued that dog people and fashion people can be one in the same. And, they all belong in New York, in loving homes. (Really, "too many" dogs are being surrendered to shelters or found abandoned—like most of the show's furry cast.) That's a personal proposition from the designers: Both Antonoff and Korn have operated their brands here for at least a decade, and both are the proud owners of dogs rescued from kill shelters.
I saw a lot what I would wear with or without my bernedoodle, Dolly Pawton, in tow. Rachel Antonoff revamped her viral pasta print on matching sets and spring jackets; she also presented Palm Beach-appropriate matching knit sets in pink, black, and red, with cheerful scalloped hems. The '80s-infused polka dots I noted at Copenhagen Fashion Week last month also turned up here in the form of contrasting-print dresses and a funky puffer jacket. Susan Alexandra stayed true to what she does best—Technicolor beading—in riffs on her best-selling top-handle bags, with leashes and collars to match.
Every single human model wore Croc clogs bedazzled with glittery Susan Alexandra charms from an upcoming collaboration. Anyone following fashion knows those aren't just shoes for dog walkers; they've also been embraced by petless fashion people through Simone Rocha and Balenciaga collaborations.
Naysayers, or cat people, may argue that there still isn't a place for puppies at fashion week. Or that a runway full of smooshable faces and wagging tails is more of a gimmick for social media than a "Real Show." I'll remind them that if New York Fashion Week intends to design clothes for people to wear, the premise includes outfits for taking furry friends on their morning walks. When Dolly and I are strolling in a Rachel Antonoff and Susan Alexandra drip next spring, at least no one can complain that we're in athleisure.
