PUP IDOLS: 'I DRESS HOLLYWOOD'S TOP DOGS'

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Feb 1, 2004 | by Elaine Lipworth

Hollywood's dogs are as fashion-conscious as their celebrity owners. The stars often parade in the front of the cameras with their pooches and spare no expense making sure their pups are dressed to the nines.

Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Demi Moore all love to spoil their four- legged friends with designer clothes, toys and jewellery from Fifi & Romeo, the most exclusive and outrageous doggy boutique in town.

You can buy matching T-shirts, sweaters and jewellery for the whole extended family. Angelina Jolie has spent thousands of dollars on matching designer T-shirts and bags for herself, her son Maddox and her white poodles Muskrat and Poodle.

'Stars love their dogs so much,' sighs Fifi & Romeo manager Tinkerbell (her real name). 'And they like it here. Britney Spears and Demi Moore came in the other day and sat on the floor, just hanging out. My favourite is Milla Jovovich though,' adds Tinkerbell, who's dressed in a stripy top with a clashing dogtooth (what else?) skirt, fishnets, a pink beret and dog collars round her wrist and neck. 'Milla came in when she first got her miniature Maltese, Madness, and bought a vintage leather dog carrier. Madness loved it.

'Christina Aguilera is so sweet and adorable too,' she continues. 'And look what Britney wrote in the guest book: "Britney wuz here so wuz my dog Mickey."'

From the outside, the shop looks more like a kitsch art gallery. The windows are dressed with cardboard dog cutouts swathed in pieces of cashmere, the boutique's favourite fabric. Inside, it's all candy- striped walls, antique furniture, heavy drapes and hundreds of toy dogs modelling elaborate outfits. There are dog toys and ornaments, diamond collars, even doggy changing rooms. The effect is surreal, especially when the shop's owner, Yana, waltzes dramatically through the door, stroking Yoda the Chihuahua and with her Dalmatian, Niket, by her side. Yoda and Yana are wearing matching T-shirts and Yoda is also modelling one of his owner's new creations, an 18-carat gold necklace studded with diamonds and pearls, worth around pounds 760.

Yana, 37 and originally from Russia, is a former costume designer who worked on Ally McBeal. She started making clothes for her own dogs because she couldn't find them any trendy outfits, then decided to start a business when she was inundated with requests from celeb pals. 'They trust me to make their dogs look pretty. And one of the reasons I stay in business is I don't kiss and tell,' explains Yana, but in the next breath lists her regulars - Gwen Stefani, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore and Fergie. 'Fergie loves my cashmere blankets,' she says. The largest costs pounds 770. 'Fergie bought them for Prince Charles and Prince Andrew.' However, none for Princess Anne's terriers, it would seem.

Fifi & Romeo became famous as the canine equivalent of Prada when Yana designed outfits for Bruiser, Reese Witherspoon's dog in the Legally Blonde movies. 'They told me Reese would be wearing Prada and Gucci and I should make whatever I wanted to match. Reese gets clothes for her own dogs, Coco and Chanel, here too. Her husband, Ryan Phillippe, is a bit against it but she sneaks a few outfits through.'

Everything about Fifi & Romeo is over the top. However, Yana doesn't take herself too seriously. 'This place is borderline Liberace. Having a dog is just an excuse to be crazy and eccentric,' she says.

With such pricey merchandise, you wouldn't expect the shop to be busy. But by 11am it's packed with women clutching tiny dogs. Young actress Eileen buys a pounds 300 denim and leather dog carrier for Tater Tot, her Chihuahua. 'I'm psychotic about him. I write a daily journal about how much he eats, how many times he goes pee-pee and the size and colour of his poo-poo.'

Christine, in her 40s from Texas, is shopping for Madeleine, her poodle, who's trying on a turquoise angora sweater, matching collar, rosebud hair slides and polka-dot beret. 'I'm going to paint her nails turquoise to complete the look,' Christine says. 'Next we're off to Burberry to have a raincoat fitted.'

Her long-suffering husband is sitting in the corner. 'I think it's ridiculous,' he says. 'But we don't have children, and I want to stay married. This keeps her happy.'

WHO WEARS WHAT IN THE

FOUR-FOOTED FASHION WORLD

l Britney Spears's Pomeranian, Mickey, loves his blue and white cashmere sweater

l Christina Aguilera's papillons Chewy and Stinky have jewel- studded dog collars and leads, and Christina recently bought them sparkly green camouflage combat jackets

l Angelina Jolie, her son Maddox and poodles Muskrat and Poodle all own matching T-shirts