A dog’s day in fashion

The Washington social scene since 2007 has been raining cats and dogs with an event that blends felines, Fidos and families for the Washington Humane Society’s fashion-show fundraiser, Fashion for Paws.

When relationships blogger Andrea Rodgers happened upon a forlorn kitten behind a grocery store in Glover Park, she decided to dig in to do more for her cat - aptly named Lucky - and others in need of protection.

“I was familiar with [the Washington Humane Society’s] mission and the work they were doing. I thought about how I’ve raised a lot of money for various charities in town and felt compelled to lend my talents and time to the Washington Humane Society,” Ms. Rodgers says.

On March 28, the third annual Fashion for Paws will bark back at the Italian Embassy as models ranging from local celebrities to everyday animal lovers who each raised at least $3,000 sashay down the runway in spring fashions provided by Tysons Galleria - with some four-legged friends as their best accessories.

Tara de Nicolas, the marketing director of the Washington Humane Society, who worked alongside Ms. Rodgers to bring the event to fruition, expects 1,000 people to attend the show and says the event easily will outpace last year’s record of $200,000 despite the economic climate.

Ms. de Nicolas explains that the money generated by the event through ticket sales and the funds raised by models has practical applications, as many of the animals brought to the Humane Society have been abused and may require costly surgery.

The Humane Society also feeds, spays or neuters, and rehabilitates animals at the two Humane Society shelters in the District in addition to its animal advocacy and education work.

Ms. de Nicolas says Fashion for Paws has become a standard-bearer for “out-of-the-box” charity fundraising because it differs from the galas and direct-mail campaigns used by many philanthropies.

“We needed something different, something to spice it up and something that would capture people’s attention,” says Ms. de Nicolas, who has rescued stray animals since childhood and modeled Fashion for Paws after a similar local event, Fashion Fights Poverty.

When Ms. Rodgers and Ms. de Nicolas first developed the idea, they relied on their voluminous lists of contacts from Washington social and charitable circles. The common denominator among their contacts was an interest in fashion, especially in the spring, when the ladies-who-lunch set looks to clean out winter wardrobes.

One of the contacts Ms. de Nicolas turned to was Lyndsey Higgins, marketing manager for Tysons Galleria.

“Our shoppers are very fashion-savvy, chic and philanthropic. This allows us the opportunity to show our shoppers and the community that not only are we the place to find the best names in fashion, but that we are also a good community partner,” she says.

Although the event is unabashedly glamorous, this year featuring actor Val Kilmer and local A-listers such as NBC’s Luke Russert and WJLA’s Pamela Brown, Ms. de Nicolas says the Humane Society is very much grounded in the community and brings together families from all walks of life.

“Even if you are not a dog or cat person, you can see how pets help families and how they teach children an appreciation for animals,” she says.

Jan Cousteau, daughter-in-law of the late ocean icon Jacques Cousteau, has served as an adviser to Fashion for Paws from the beginning and says animals are integral to building strong families.

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