Couturier for Yorkies and Spitz: Tyumen Designer's Dog Clothing Brand

Elena Matvienko from Tyumen has loved and known how to sew since childhood: her grandmother, a professional seamstress, was her role model. Growing up, the craftswoman trained as a clothing designer and also as a teacher-psychologist — she conducted classes at a children«s creative studio. But the pull of sewing ultimately proved stronger. So in 2013, Elena began building and developing a brand of dog clothing, which is now known and loved in various corners of the country. This cozy story from 72.RU is about that and more.

Inspiring Audrey and Faithful Assistants

It«s important to note that initially Elena sewed wardrobe items for people: these were everyday things, but more often — elegant attire for formal occasions. However, everything changed with the appearance of her first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, who received the sonorous name Audrey. The little one needed to be dressed in something, and her owner instantly decided: why buy when she can sew everything her beloved pet needs herself?

— About eight years I dressed people: I sewed to order. And when I bought a dog, I realized that she needed to be dressed so she wouldn«t get cold on winter walks. Passersby started paying attention to her clothes, and that»s how I got my first clients. And now we«ve been dressing pets from all over Russia for 12 years, — says our interviewee.

At the start of creating the first dog clothing collections, Elena already had professional sewing equipment; all that remained was to purchase supplies. As for patterns, she has her own, original ones: through trial and error, she managed to perfect them.

— When sewing for pets, you need to take into account the breed«s anatomy: one has a slightly wider breastbone, another has fur, let»s say, that can mat under clothing, and that needs to be considered when sewing. So there are specific subtleties, nuances. To take a pet«s measurements, you need to calm the dog down, put it in a stance, as at a show, — so that it stands with a straight back on all four legs. The chest girth, neck girth, and back length are measured: these are the three most important measurements considered when creating a pattern, — explains Elena.

By the way, when she says «we» while talking about her beloved work, it«s not by chance. Now the craftswoman has two seamstress-assistants, always ready to help during periods of maximum workload. Typically, this is before the start of the cold season.

— In the season, we«re, of course, swamped in every sense of the word, — Elena says with a smile. — Mostly, of course, dogs are dressed for autumn and winter. In summer, T-shirts, little dresses, sun hats, and caps are relevant.

Now the designer and her assistants sew clothing only for small dogs weighing up to 4–5 kilograms (8.8–11 lb). Her main inspirations are her beloved Yorkies, of which, by the way, there are two: Audrey and Holly.

— For large dogs, like Rottweilers, we don«t sew: they have a completely different build, different patterns. There was experience creating clothing for pugs, which have their own peculiarities. But still, decorative breeds are closer to us, — says our heroine.

And she admits: it«s hard to count how many dog outfits she has already sewn. Very many — that would be correct to say.

Overalls, Dresses, and Even Tiny Felt Boots

In the production of dog clothing, as you already understand, there are many important nuances. And one of them is the correct choice of materials. So, for jackets and overalls, fast-drying synthetic insulation is used: on walks, pets« clothes constantly get dirty, and they need to be washed often. The fabric for the lining is a separate story: for fluffy dogs, smooth fabric is used; for smooth-haired dogs — fluffy, plush fabric, to make it warmer.

— I love going to fabric stores. When I see material, I immediately imagine that this will make a great little jacket, that — a warm hoodie. So inspiration comes from the fabric. There are unusual orders. For example, once I made a Che Guevara costume for a Dachshund. It was a khaki-colored sweater and a cap, — recalls Elena.

She promotes her work through VKontakte (VK): it«s convenient for her and for the customers, most of whom are from the north of the large Tyumen Region. In terms of overalls, this is not surprising: the bitter frosts in winter in the Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs are a typical story.

— For small dogs whose paws get cold, we can sew shoes. And even felt boots, soft, not like for humans. For dry frosty winters they are perfect, but where we live, you can«t walk in them: only boots, — our interlocutor is convinced.

Creating clothing for dogs is now Elena«s main job. At the same time, she tries to allocate time for rest and never ignores her little rituals.

— In the morning, we wake up, go for a walk, wash the paws, have breakfast — and to work. I don«t have a set number of working hours per day: I work when inspired. I always tell all my buyers, customers, that I always sew in a good mood, meaning it»s not some forced thing. Only with inspiration and love for pets, — continues the craftswoman.

By the way, if sewing orders is sometimes helped by others, she does everything else exclusively herself: communicates about orders, packs and sends parcels. All over Russia, but more often to the North: to Nadym, Urengoy, Salekhard. Once, dog outfits were taken by customers to America — as a gift. Sending parcels abroad now is not an easy task.

A Simple Secret and a Cherished Dream

Elena and her team don«t strive for worldwide fame: it»s more important to continue creating clothing for dogs as well as possible. And, one can say, she succeeds, judging by hundreds of enthusiastic reviews. The secret is in the ability to find an individual approach to each.

— Dogs — they are like children, each has its own character. Mine give me inspiration: I look at them and think: it would be nice to sew something unusual. And in the end, I sew not one thing, but several. For example, unusual things like lace sun hats for summer. Audrey adores dressing up, while Holly just tolerates it, — our heroine says, smiling.

By the way, she already had experience launching her own offline store, but the format didn«t suit her. However, Elena»s experiment with creating clothing for cats turned out successful.

— For cats we also sew. Often, Sphynxes dress up: they are hairless, always cold. The patterns in this case are slightly different: cats« bodies are longer than dogs». And their build: some have a good appetite, some are slimmer, — she specifies.

On order for people, Elena now sews very rarely: only if she is approached with some very unusual request. And she still adores sewing something for herself, though there is often no time for it at all. But this is no reason for sadness.

— The main thing is not to be afraid to express yourself. Find the type of creativity that is close to you, and be inspired, develop, — Elena Matvienko is sure.

She, by the way, is walking exactly this path. And you?