Teen's dog fashions a hit

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By Andrea Tomer

It was Jada Nicome's desire to help her Maltese-Pekingese, Niko, that propelled her into the top ranks of young Washington entrepreneurs and provided $1,500 in seed money to start K-9 Kouture, a fashion house for pets.

"Basically, Niko was the reason why I created this business," Jada said. "I created this line out of love for my dog, and I know that there are pet owners who love and like to dress up their dogs."

Jada, 16, a junior at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, took home the top prize from the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an organization promoting the teaching of entrepreneurship to high school students, which held its 28thsemiannual competition for the D.C. region on Jan. 15.

"She is a good speaker and very charismatic," said Beverly Johnson, Jada's teacher who oversees Northwestern's entrepreneurship class. "Her idea was very unique."

"In these uncertain economic times, I think it is more important now than ever for people of all ages to understand entrepreneurship," said Jeff Reid, executive director of the D.C. chapter of NFTE. "When young people learn about entrepreneurship, they learn to follow their passion and interests in ways that support their families and long-term educational goals."

K-9 Kouture serves to clothe dogs as both a fashion statement and a way to stay warm. Owners submit designs for their dogs apparel, which Ms. Nicome then creates into the finished hoodies and T-shirts.

She even created a "hoodie" in honor of President Obama, who promised his daughters a dog if became president. The hoodie, which is patriotic in nature and has the words "First Dog" printed on it, was modeled by her dog at January's competition. She eventually plans to send the creation to the Obamas at the White House.

Originally, K-9 Kouture was to include apparel for cats, but was adjusted since Jada lacked feline clothing models and is allergic to cats.

Unique to K-9 Kouture is the emphasis it places on giving back to the community. Recently, Jada created a hoodie to support local animal shelters. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the hoodie will be donated to animal shelters and animal adoption agencies. The words "Unconditional Love" are printed on each hoodie and represent the unconditional love that is shared between people and their pets.

"My business promotes animal adoption, while allowing the pet owners to express their own creativity and uniqueness into what their dog wears," Jada said. "I feel it's important to give back to the community."