France - World’s fashion capital

LYON, France, Nov 21, 2009 (AFP) - France may well be the world’s fashion capital, but when it comes to suiting up pooches, America does it best.

At least so says young French designer Celine Boulud, who is bringing a canine enterprise from the United States to France.“Canine fashion is all the rage in New York,” she said in an interview. “There are boutiques for dogs on every street corner, and almost all the dogs wear outfits.”

Boulud, now 24, happened on the trend during a summer internship at fashion house Bill Blass in New York, where she attended the annual “Pet Fashion Week.” “Not just the dogs but even pet rabbits and hampsters have outfits for Halloween,” she said.Back home in this eastern city, the young designer realised that despite the country’s reputation as a dog-loving nation with eight million dogs for a population of 62 million the doggie outfit market remained an unexplored potential goldmine.High end fashion houses such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton offer the odd accessory for pampered pooches, such as leashes or collars.

And in 2000 another enterprising French firm launched a luxury pooch perfume, spinning a quick profit on sales that largely went to exports.Now Boulud hopes to join the cream of the crowd that cater to man’s four-legged friend.Early this year, armed with a high dose of inspiration and entrepreneurial spirit, the design graduate opened a boutique in Lyon offering a full range of doggie outfits — sailor-sweaters, leather jackets, denim and lace dresses. -AFP