pamperedpuppy // luxury lifestyles for dogs

Fabulous Pugs

Fabulous Pugs by Lisa Knapp
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They don't hunt, they don't take to water, and they certainly don't scare off many intruders. It's always been a puzzle trying to figure out for what purpose pugs were bred. According to Wikipedia.com, the lineage of pugs can be traced back to the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 BC) in China where these silky-eared, clever little dogs were raised to be the supremely pampered lap dogs of emperors. Perhaps their purpose is to simply be adored.

Graphic designer Lisa Knapp couldn't agree more with this assessment. In fact, Knapp quit her job as a graphic designer to devote herself full-time to making a media darling out of Charlie, her rather rotund 5-year-old female pug.

As the Atlanta designer tells it, she knew her pet was destined for stardom. From the moment they brought their furry bundle home, Knapp and her husband Steve noticed Charlie always commanded a crowd. After the adoption, Lisa Knapp set about finding a dog-loving community to share her pride and joy. Before long, her social calendar was packed with play dates, birthday parties and invites to other doggie events. Knapp decided to liven up a few of the canine soirees by dressing Charlie in costume. Thanks to lessons from her mom, a master seamstress, Knapp's been fashioning original gowns and costumes from the tender age of five.

"Once I started dressing Charlie up, people just went crazy!" says Knapp. The crafty designer thought she was on to something big. Knapp decided to create a book capitalizing on Charlie's charisma. Titled Fabulous Pugs, the book consists of glamorous photos of Charlie. On each page, Charlie adopts the guise of a historical figure or pop culture icon. From Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Elizabeth I, no figure is safe from Knapp's wit.

© by Lisa Knapp

From edgy to romantic, Charlie embraces the spirit of each of her characters. As "Glinda the Good Pug" from The Wizard of Oz, Charlie looks beatific in a tulle gown adorned with pink rosettes. This canine chameleon can also channel her inner vixen, taking on the roles of Madonna and Liz Taylor with equal panache. Charlie is undeniably adorable even unadorned, but it is the elaborate doggie costumes which make this book an exceptional gift for dog lovers.

Sure the overall effect of the book is pure escapism and silliness, but putting together this work was no joke. Originally conceived as a way to pay homage to her pleasantly plump fur child, the book tapped into Knapp's skills and interests: sewing and shopping, and of course, spending time with her four-legged friend.

Each outfit was painstakingly researched for historical accuracy. After sketching the costumes, Knapp set about finding the perfect material for each portrait. Every costume required a unique pattern, making this project extremely time-consuming. Velcro won't cut it for this demanding wardrobe mistress, so Charlie's entire wardrobe is hand- finished. In order to accommodate the time demands of this undertaking, Knapp took unpaid vacation from her graphic design job.

Knapp quickly became obsessed with her book. She spent weekends scouring local antique shops and flea markets for the perfect accessories. Her discerning eye for fine fabrics proved to be costly and the budget soon spiraled out of control. "I spent thousands and thousands of dollars, just an insane amount of money on these costumes," says Knapp. Knapp opted for fabrics retailing for more than $80 per yard and vintage jewelry from the 1930's and 1940's. Her efforts show. Even the tiaras, as seen in photos of Charlie as Queen Victoriapug, appear authentic.

© by Lisa Knapp

Styling Charlie to look like America's most stylish first lady, Jackie Kennedy, was a tall order. Each detail from the double-breasted jacket to the pearl buttons is spot-on. No detail was too small for this perfectionist. In order to craft the pillbox hat, Knapp used a mixing bowl as the mold. "I'd never made a hat before," says Knapp, "and the jacket sleeves were incredibly hard." The finished product is exquisite.

In total, Knapp spent more than four months assembling the costumes. When she'd completed the prep work, Knapp hired a professional photographer, Danny Strickland, to come to her home and start compiling images for the book.

Most of Strickland's work at his firm, Zoom Designs, involves corporate design work and the photographer says he's never worked with pets before.

Strickland said that normally shooting pets is a complicated affair. "I thought we'd end up doing a lot of retouching," says Strickland. Strickland went so far as to bring a stuffed pug along on the shoot. He imagined he would end up putting the clothes on the stuffed pug, but to the photographer's surprise, Charlie loved the shoot. Charlie willingly dressed, and undressed, more than forty times — never losing her temper or throwing a diva-like tantrum.

"No drugs, no hammers," were required to get Charlie to pose. "She's a natural born star." Apparently Charlie didn't have any trouble with cross-dressing or the nudity involved in the shoot.

As far as the most complicated photo, Strickland and Knapp agree on the Marilyn Pugroe images. Getting Miss Charlie to heft her weight onto her two back paws required some manipulation and digital camera trickery.

© by Lisa Knapp

Strickland was astounded that in the course of a few hours they were able to capture every image for the book. From the photographer's reports, Charlie embraced each and every character with the utmost professionalism. This is one gal that is comfortable in her own rolled skin!

After quitting her full-time design job in Atlanta, Knapp has literally fashioned a new career for herself as Charlie's manager. Charlie is well on her way to becoming a full-blown celebrity. She's been to a number of book signings and draws a crowd wherever she goes. Surely a fan club can't be too far behind. Charlie's already gets regular emails from at Knapp's Web site www.pugdaddyproductions.com. "I like to think she's the most famous pug in the world," says Knapp. Next up for Charlie: a calendar, and a set of boxed note cards.

All this attention hasn't gone to the stylish girl's head. She still stays true to her roots and her demanding nap schedule. When she's not interacting with her adoring fans, Charlie enjoys watching television, snacking and racing around the house. "She's an eating machine," says Knapp. Favorite snacks include broccoli, apples and special baked pumpkin doggie treats from a local dog shop. Knapp reports that the "full-figured" gal is in great health despite being pleasantly plump. (According to Knapp, Charlie weighs in at 21 pounds; the AKC range is 14-18 pounds).

So far the book has seen strong sales; it can be found at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com and other large retailers. To Knapp's delight, she's landed both a literary agent and a publishing house (Stewart Tabori & Chang) that support her zany artistic vision. A second book is in the works, and Knapp will no doubt try to outdo her début performance with another batch of astonishing costumes.

Now that Charlie's a bona fide celebrity, Paris Hilton may be quaking in her high-heels at this newcomer's star power. This pug's got the looks, the wardrobe and the presence to steal the spotlight.