Tokyo Pet Fashion Week

Pet Fashion Week New York, a U.S.-based concern

that started holding dog runway events at trade shows

it organizes in New York two years ago, targeted

puppy-mad Tokyo for its first overseas foray.

"In the U.S. dogs are dressed to a degree,

but not as meticulously or as coordinated as you

see" in Japan, says Mario DiFante, a partner and

executive director of Pet Fashion Week.

Pet fashion has been hot ever since Paris Hilton

was snapped toting her uber-chic Chihuahua Tinkerbell

to society soirees (Ms. Hilton has since launched her

own line of pet clothing and accessories).

Tokyo-based Yano Research Institute estimates

that owners in Japan spent $10 billion in 2006,

the latest figures available, on everything from food

to clothes to the purchase price of the pets.

Designer Manfred of Sweden displayed a Swarovski

crystal-bedecked gold-and-silver colored leather

jacket retailing at $5,000 at the trade show. Manfred

also makes a $20,000 diamond-encrusted leather

doggie jacket. At the lower end, there are "hoodie"

sweatshirts, made of stretchable sport material

emblazoned with a snapshot of the Beatles,

which sell for about $300 each.

Some of the humans came hoping to leave with

new ideas to spur their puppy-fashion sales.

"The challenge that the market has right now

is that it's difficult to find really innovative fashion,"

laments Poochonline.com chief executive Marjorie

Scholz. "That's one reason we came to Japan, not only

to show what we're innovating but also to see what

they're innovating here. The Japanese take everything

they do very seriously, and they do it to extremes."