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California

Hallström Produces Mommy and me Couture

by Sandy Robins

Fashion team Eva and Eleonor Hallström of E&E Hallström Haute Couture in Hartsdale, N.Y., have a goal: to present a couture "mommy and me" complementing fashion statement to be exclusively marketed through high-end women's boutiques.

   "We are attempting to take pet fashion to another level," says Eleonor, the team's chief designer."Our clothes don't belong in pet stores, but in sophisticated boutiques where women who are serious about fashion will consider these outfits an extension of their own couture look."

   Using a wide selection of fabrics ranging from cotton and linen to the finest cashemere and silks, their signature designs feature an extensive range of classic styles with fun appliques, beading and embroidery.

   "We both love hand crafts," Eva says. "We grew up sewing and knitting for ourselves and have made a point of incorporating designs and shapes that reflect our Scandinavian and Venezuelan heritage.

   "With haute couture outfits for women, designers usually focus their details on the front or the back of the outfit," Eva says.
but when it comes to dogs, the are usually viewed from above, so we've placed a lot of emphasis on the waist and the collar.

    "We focus heavily on beadwork and also use a lot of semiprecious stones to complement the fabrics," she adds.

    Eleonor trained as a graphic designer and spent more than 17 years in teh industry, and Eva previously had a career in publishing. When she was laid off two years ago, the sisters jumped at the opportunity to star their own business.

   Apart from original outfits, the team has also produced a pret a porter range for the fall and winter 2006.

   We are focusing on rich earth tones and geometric designs, "Eva says. " There's a lot of orange, brown, yellow, gold and bronze shades. To that we've added rich vegeatble and fruit colors, such as, cranberry. The collection is mainly wool and heavy cotton fabrics with lots of silk for evening wear.

   " In all our clothes we pay the same attention to detail as you would find in human couture clothes," Eva says. "All snaps are covered and there's a lot of them so that the clothes can be properly adjusted for confort and fit."

   Insterestingly, while their clothes are all about dog couture, the Hallström's admit they are cat people.

   "People always laugh when we tell them, "Eva says."But that has really nothing to do with our work. Some of the greatest fashion designers in the world are men designing for women. I guess it's the same thing."