| Illustration by David Waldoff |
Fashions for Fido
Jewelry designer offers
dolled-up dogs a bit of bling
By Linda McIntosh | linda.mcintosh@tlnews.net
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but man's best friend is his dog. Svea Komori-Ang put the two together and ended up with a winning combination: jewelry for dogs.
It was a fluke that led the Escondido resident to start making necklaces for her pooch four years ago.
"I thought it would be cute to put my bracelet on her," Komori-Ang said.
It looked good, and her Chihuahua liked it, so Komori-Ang made more.
An artist by training, she borrowed some of her mother's imported European beads, got some heavy-duty string and without quite realizing it, started her own line of designer jewelry for dogs.
She made matching sets for her and her dog to wear, and the two got a lot of looks when they went shopping.
She got a few customers, too.
She named her business Belle Pepper Couture, after her sheltie, Belle, and her Chihuahua, Pepper.
Since then, Komori-Ang has sold dozens of her jewelry and clothing items for dogs and cats across the country.
"Some dogs really take to it," she said.
The necklaces feel like collars, and the pendants are usually not much bigger than license tags.
Her jewelry first sold at Modern Dog, a La Jolla store that has since closed. Now her line is sold on her Web site, at Diva Dogs Boutique in Phoenix, and at the Arf Gallery in San Diego. She also sells at area craft fairs.
"She has one-a-kind things that are a labor of love," said Stephanie Kessl, owner of the Arf Gallery.
Komori-Ang said most of her customers come through word of mouth and from the Web site, www.bellepeppercouture.com.
The Web site includes a statement that reads, "My name is Pepper and I helped to start this business through my love of fashion and accessorizing. There is nothing that I like better than something sparkly around my neck that matches my sweater."
One look at the site's photos of Pepper adorned with lustrous pearls and sparkling beads confirms the business slogan: "A little bit of glamour for the fashionable pet."
"It's just really a lot of fun," said Komori-Ang, a Web designer, who looks at the animal clothing and jewelry business as a hobby.
Beads and fabric fill much of the table space around her house.
"I'm always looking for colors that go together," she said. "I'm driven by color."
She said many of her fashions were inspired by trips to Los Angeles boutiques.
She designed a purple satin brocade evening gown for Pepper and a parrot costume that won Best of Show at the Canine Carnival in Ocean Beach last month.
"I like how playful and fun her fabrics and beads are and that the jewelry is double-wired, so even if one wire breaks, the beads aren't all over the place," Kessel said.
Styles range from the Art Deco line with a 1930s look accentuated by faux pearls to the Classic line with alexandrite beads that change from blue to lavender. They have price tags from $22 to more than $100.
The Hollywood line features heavy aluminum necklaces with abalone pendants and Swarovski crystals.
Her clothes, which includes fleece vests and elegant coats in plaids and boucle fabric, range from $8 to $30.
Komori-Ang brings to play her formal training in painting. She received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Arizona State University in 1999.
She likes to combine unusual colors and fanciful patterns, such as bright green and zebra stripes, to create a trendy look.
"I look for bright colors," she said. "It might not look good on people, but on dogs, it's the cutest thing."
Reach reporter Linda McIntosh at (760) 752-6756.