Dogs on the runway at N.Y. fashion show

NEW YORK, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Customers at a New York fashion show snapped up jeweled collars, winter jackets and $3,000 charms on display -- for their dogs, show organizers said.

Business was brisk the first day of the Pet Fashion Week NY 2010 show, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

Dozens of vendors were on hand pushing doggy haute couture in Manhattan, opening several weeks before its human counterpart, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Professional dog stylist Jorge Bendersky, 39, took doggie dress-up a step further with his Bichon Frise, Tiffany, dipping her white paws and tail in pink dye.

"If a dog is going to be walking next to your Manolo Blahniks (shoes), it has to look fabulous," Bendersky, who runs a dog styling business called Planet Jorge, said.

"Dogs like the attention," he said. "So obviously there's nothing better than a pink dog."

Rose Russo, 40, outfitted her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Lily Pad and Penny Lane, in purple dresses with detachable skirts, the Daily News said.

"These are my girls. We come here every year," Russo said. "Just like people fashion, we have doggy fashion."