Fete Lifestyle Magazine April 2019 - Spring Fashion Issue | Page 34

We may conjure images of little Yorkies being toted around in a handbag, some of us with great disdain To those carrying their canine bundle of joy, this isn’t the most outrageous of trends. The newest and least known of the Fido fashion world is creative dog grooming. This competitive arena, where poodles, predominantly, proudly prance wearing the most innovatively designed “outfits” created by a skilled groomer using just her scissors, and a little doggie dye. And of course, that dye is all vegetable and completely non-toxic.

Creative dog grooming is much more than a snip and a clip so Maggie Mae can see where

she’s going or deter dirt from clinging to her backside. Imagine a purple, blue, and orange formerly white poodle fluffed to perfection Consider an array of sculpted barnyard animals, while the overall look is that of a rooster. Or themed groomings like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” The limits are only set by the extent of the groomer’s imagination and skill.

The concept may sound more than strange to most of us, but in a recent film, “Well Groomed,” by documentary filmmaker Rebecca Stern, the entire process is explained as she follows four different women vying for first place in the

equivalent of the Westminster of Creative Dog Grooming contest, Groom Expo in Hershey, PA. Stern takes us along this strange journey, connecting us to the women as we begin to understand not only their personal stories, but why they love what they do. It’s a compelling and vibrant story as we watch these dogs and the women transform.