Valentino, Balmain and Mary Katranzou outfits for pugs have gone up for auction on eBay today, and all three have already surpassed the $1,000 mark.
Luisa Via Roma asked 21 top designers to dress Steiff toy pugs in their own mini-versions of canine couture, with the entire collection to be auctioned off on Ebay for charity.
Created exclusively for the luxury online boutique, designers participating include Versace, Theyskens Theory, Missoni and Etro.
Balmain's design for Pug Dogs For Happy Kids.
Each week until May 6th there will be three different designer pugs up for auction.
The Balmain pug, for example, is typical of the label's style, decked out in baroque trousers and a gold and brass beaded jacket.
Theysken's Theory dog was inspired by the new York designer's iridescent spring/summer 12 collection
Blumarine's head designer Anna Molinari channeled her sense of spontaneity and fun to create this energetic look for the pug
Katranzou's pug outfit is covered in brightly coloured beaded flowers, and Valentino’s pug takes inspiration from the famous studded T-bar heels every fashion editor was wearing two seasons ago, with a red leather studded harness and lead.
Victor and Rolf wrapped their stuffed toy pug in red and pink ribbons, paying homage to their sartorial roots and sweet Spring/Summer 2012 collection, while Etro took one of their New Jazz Age inspired prints from the house's most recent show in true Bohemian style.
All proceeds from the pugs' sale will be donated to the UNICEF Project ARISE (Appropriate Resources for Improving Street Children's Environment), a project aiming to reintegrate street children from Bangladesh into society, educating them and finding them homes.
Nifty knits: This Missoni creation, by Teresa Maccapani Missoni, is a jumpsuit in loop stitch creating a warm mantle that makes the dog 'look like a sheep'
Fashion bloggers and even Vogue Italia have joined the initiative, called Pug Dog for Happy Kids, with several fashion bloggers 'adopting a pug' to show their support for the project.
Roberto Cavalli's glam rock take on the pug comes in the form of a crystal-embellished shearling coat
Giambattista Valli brought his signature couture edge to create a marabou trimmed one-off stuffed toy
With over 140 million inhabitants, Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Many children are deprived of family protection and left to fend for themselves because of widespread poverty and devastating natural disasters.
According to UNICEF, the first beneficiaries of the Pug Dog for Happy Kids project are 3,500 street children between 6 and 18 years who have been identified as those at the highest risk.
You can hedge your bets on the pugs at luisaviaroma.com, or for an outright donation, there is also an exclusive shopping bag on sale for $197 on the site.
