Who wore it better? Rescue dogs turn heads in celebrity Met Gala couture
Met Gala? More like Mutt Gala.
On Monday afternoon, animal lovers gathered at the Penthouse on West 46th Street for the first annual Pet Gala, put on by renowned canine couturier Anthony Rubio.
Eleven rescue dogs — and one kitty — donned luxe outfits inspired by the best celebrity styles from the recent Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala.
“The Met Gala had Doja Cat,” said Rubio at the runway presentation. “We have an actual cat.”
That would be Bagel, aka the Sunglass Cat on Instagram, who wore a slinky silver version of Doja’s gown complete with cat-eared cap and jeweled sunglasses that took eight hours to fabricate.
“She has 600 pairs,” said Bagel’s human, Karen McGill, who splits her time between Los Angeles, New York City and Detroit.
McGill fashioned the sunglasses based on Rubio’s design; Bagel needs to wear shades to protect her eyes, which have cornea damage. But that doesn’t stop the gray-haired feline from living life to the fullest. “She loves the subway and demands she has her own seat,” McGill said with a laugh.
Rubio began recreating looks from the Costume Institute gala in 2013 as a photo project, auctioning off the garments for animal charities. But for the Pet Gala’s 10th anniversary, he wanted to do something more extravagant. He worked “morning, noon and night” for weeks, even sewing in the car on the way to the event.
“I have so much work to do,” he wailed during fittings less than an hour before showtime.
The most complicated garment? The white furry cat suit — modeled on Lagerfeld’s own pampered pet, Choupette — worn by Jared Leto at the actual Met Ball. “This took two weeks,” he said, gesturing to the hirsute ensemble worn by chihuahua Kimba.
Other examples included Cardi B’s quilted patent gown, worn by Lala, an elegant Pomeranian; Dua Lipa’s tweed dress, worn by Lala’s sister Darla; and Pedro Pascal’s red jacket, modeled by BLiNG, who has also posed for Victoria’s Secret and Nike.
It was — said the attendants — worth it.
“This is a complete Cinderella moment,” said Linda Coffman, 56, who traveled from Orange County, Calif., for the gala. Her 13-year-old mini Shichon, Layla, modeled a pink satin confection based on Naomi Campbell’s stunning archival Chanel.
“When Anthony said he was thinking of Naomi’s dress for Layla, I was so excited because I’m a total pink girl,” Coffman said. “Layla is almost always in pink.”
Rubio has big plans for next year’s Pet Gala, which he hopes will include a sit-down dinner at the actual museum, with sponsors and tickets that will raise money for animal shelters and charities.
“Everything I do, I do for my love of animals,” he said.
