About Bespoke Paws | From the Founder
Hi, I’m Ivy, founder and designer of Bespoke Paws.
I spent over twenty years of my career in NYC's fashion industry, including Senior Designer and Design Director level roles at Ralph Lauren, CK Jeans, and DKNY.
I've also worked at Zac Posen, Jason Wu, Theory and DVF, where haute couture techniques tied to ready-to-wear fashion, and were carefully curated throughout the collections.
When I started Bespoke Paws, it was due to my love of my Yorkshire Terrier I rescued, Brooklyn Mr. Aloha Higa, and not being able to find quality, functional pet products that married beautiful designs, fabrics, and even trims and notions, that helped my life with him. I wanted the same standards I held throughout my career: quality, construction, and functionality, built with intention, and built to last. It may be a different customer than the one I spent my career designing for, but the standards haven’t changed.
Whenever possible, I like to choose natural fibers like wool, cashmere, silk and cotton, and I try to minimize the use of synthetics where we can. We’re not perfect, and I don’t believe responsible design is about pretending that we are. For me, it’s about making more conscious decisions, choosing thoughtfully, creating things meant to last, and hopefully replacing less.
But there’s an even bigger purpose behind Bespoke Paws. My long-term dream is to create a nonprofit arm of the brand that supports animal rescues, helps bring more awareness to their work, and ultimately helps more dogs, cats, and wildlife find the lives they deserve. Because ultimately, I don’t want Bespoke Paws to simply make beautiful things for dogs, cats, etc. I want us to do beautiful things for them, too. And that’s the kind of brand I’m hoping to build.
Our family has recently expanded to another rescue I adopted, Miss Kona Coffee Higa. While we are expand our family life, we also are working to expand our offerings of thoughtfully, methodically designed products to improve and beautify every-day-life with our treasured pets.
Our products are not for everyone. If price matters more than how it's made, this isn't for you. There are cheaper options, and there will always be. Our products carries time, skill, and years of experience in deciphering the good from the bad. Most people won't know the difference, but I do and our clients who also do, never go back.
I’ve always been more comfortable letting the work speak for itself staying behind the scenes, with the love my animals. However, I’m glad you’re here to explore the highest standards, enjoy the quality of our products, and making a way to create positive social change. Our brand and products are without any gimmicks, with authenticity, integrity and love; we welcome to our pack.