Kiko's Korner
Tiny doggie heaven comes to
Holt Renfrew
by Judi McLeod
October 15, 2004
Not all of the stylish shoppers
flooding Toronto's Holt Renfrew leave wafts of Channel No. 5 in their wake.
And some of Holt's newest customers are sporting coifs that are downright
fluffy.
Insatiable childlike wonder and
the signature femininity of Kazumi Himeda led her all the way from Osaka, Japan
to the main floor of the world famous Bloor Street flagship store. That's the Canadian
location of Kazumi's creation, Princessfield Boutique.
For tiny dogs of the type that
can be carried about in brand-name handbags, such as Puchi and Juicy of
California and Emre New York, Princessfield Boutique is sheer doggie heaven.
That's because Princessfield
was assembled with all the passion of a dog lover whose little poodle, Pom was
killed in a Bloor Street car accident.
These days, Kazumi's new dog,
Bunnie models the high-end accessories for tiny dogs at her stores. A second
Princessfield in Tokyo triples the Toronto original in floor space.
In the accessory line, tiny
dogs now rival the world's finest dolls. At Princessfield there are miniature
raincoats, hooded windbreakers, casual house dresses, cashmere sweaters fashioned
from the real thing by a New York designer, shirts from Hawaii--just like Uncle
Harry's ($60 to $80) and with its price tag of $580, a racy red leather coat
with black-dyed fur of genuine Canadian beaver.
If you're one of those dog
lovers whose pet insists on riding along in your convertible, dog sun goggles,
or "doggles" are now available at Holt Renfrew's Princessfield.
If you are planning to replace
your pooch's harness before Christmas, a silver leather one from Italy is
available for $80.
Like the perfumed two-legged
customers who shop at Holts, Princessfield offers an array of scented items. For
the tailwaggers, there's a full range of shampoos and French perfumes.
If your Fifi is still sleeping
in a much chewed upon basket, check out the indoor tents, elegantly Arabesque
in design.
The creator of Princessfield
looks to Elle Wood of Legally Blonde
movie fame as her hero.
The young woman, out there making a name for herself in the
world of high-end fashion accessories for tiny dogs, sends out press releases
with grammar and spelling errors. But the charm of Kazumi's message comes
through all the same.
The late Pom was male but was
turned out in ribbons and bows.
Kazumi's love of tiny dogs
started her off on a road that led to gigantic ideas that work.
"We see it as a fabulous
opportunity to target what is a very solid trend for our customers, catering to
the pet lover," says Holt's spokesperson Janet Eger. "This is a trend that's
emerging all over North America."
Canada Free Press founding editor Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck and The Rant. Judi can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com.
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