Meet the couture chihuahuas - PHOTO

Clad in feathers, pearls, gems, flowers and bows, a pint-sized pack of chihuauas has been captured on camera dressed in finest couture.French photographer Sophie Gamand dresses the dogs in pieces designed by pet couturier Anthony Rubio, before taking their pictures for her new photographic series, Dog Vogue.Each photograph carefully captures the pooches pulling high-fashion poses and unique facial expressions as well as giving them the chance to show off their stylish new look.'After discovering the incredible Dog High Fashion scene in New York, I wanted to create a series that would resemble what you see in human fashion magazines,' Sophie tells MailOnline. 'I organised a casting of chihuahuas, because I thought they would be the most expressive for this project, with their larger than life attitude. Also, they are so tiny and their features are so small, they show the fashion very well (I guess the petite size runs within dog fashion as well!). 'I invited Anthony Rubio, a famous pet couturier, to design pieces for me. On each shoot, he would bring his creations, all very detailed and exquisite, and I would go through them, pairing them with each other and with matching backgrounds, styling every photo like a stylist would do on a Vogue shoot (I assume!).''The experience was thrilling in itself, to create something new from and with someone else's art, and then the photography part was also very exciting. I tried and capture the dogs' expressions that would match the outfits they were wearing, to create a whimsical gallery of characters.'My entire photography work is about pets and our relationship to them. I am fascinated by the human/dog bond in particular, and all the things that we subject dogs to, especially in a big city like New York. Dogs have become more than animals, they are true life companion and often replace spouse and children (it is very true in the world of dog fashion). I am interested in challenging this bond, and what it says about us as a society. 'Why are humans turning to animals to replace relationships they can't form in the human world? Why are dogs accepting anything from us? What is this bond made of? Love? Co-dependance? All these questions fuel my work.''As for dog fashion, it is quite a fascinating world as well,' adds Sophie.'I discovered it a few years ago. These people gather in charity events, dress their dogs with custom made outfits that costs hundreds of dollars. Designers compete for best designs, dogs compete for best model, etc. As in child pageant though, even though the focus seems to be on the dog, the show is really all about the 'pawrents' (the owners of the doggies), and there is a lot of drama and fun behind the scene!''Models' appearing in the series include Bogie, Kimba, Amazing Grace, Daisy, Angel Song, Peach, Cosmo, Chester, Bleu, Sparky, Chai Latte, Coffee Bean and Diva.According to Sophie, her pet portraits go beyond capturing the interesting features of dogs and reveals that she looks for 'soul, personality [and] charisma' in her models.Writing on her website, she adds: 'Every dog is an individual. In my mind, each one harbours a rich inner world of stories and dreams. 'As a photographer, I aspire to create a window into that world and let that richness emerge.'Over the last three years, Sophie, who also creates reportage photos that go behind the scenes at veterinary clinics and rescue homes, has focused her projects on pets and their place in society. And she's enjoyed plenty of success. Late last year her series Wet Dogs went viral online, and she is now working on her first book.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az