Canine Couture was ‘pawsitively’ perfect at a Pups & Pinot Fashion Show, the final event of the four-day Vero Beach Food, Wine and Music festival. Not one to let sleeping dogs lie, event founder Fé Domenech concluded the multi-beneficiary fundraiser with an afternoon of food and fun fit for humans and man’s best friend alike.
Before the fashion show, folks gathered for Bark Bistro at Riverside Park, where more than a few belly rubs were enjoyed by four-legged stars. Some guests brought their own leashed companions while others got their smooches from H.A.L.O. pooches, all while nibbling on fare from local vendors.
Cannelloni, lamb chops, empanadas, meatballs, Key lime pie and dark chocolate mousse merlot were among some of the tantalizing brunch treats.
Celebrity chefs Christi Ferretti and Alex Thomopoulos chatted with guests as they prepared specialty dishes – Thomopoulos tempting palates with her award-winning crispy chicken slider. A favorite at Great White, her Venice Beach, Calif., restaurant, it was named the Best of 2017 by Bon Appétit magazine.
Ferretti, who grew up in Vero Beach and is now the owner of Pine Valley Market in Wilmington, N.C., attributed her love of cooking to her father, Richard Ferretti, one of the founders of the Italian Food Festival in Vero Beach. “We’re Italians, so everything revolves around the table.”
Ferretti was tasked with demonstrating how pet owners can cook for themselves and their furry pals at the same time. As she prepared a jerk salmon with garlic kale, brown rice and apple fennel slaw, she shared that her secret to happy tummies in both pooches and people was to set aside the pet’s portion before adding spices.
Fashion forward fans were treated to a three-course, gourmet meal created by Costa d’Este Executive Chef Armando Galeas during the Pups & Pinot Fashion Show. To keep things fresh, fashionistas sipped mimosas and wines selected to complement the light lunch.
DJ Damon pumped up the action as professional models, peppered with a mix of some familiar faces of American Cancer Society and H.A.L.O board members and volunteers, proudly sashayed down the runway to help raise funds and awareness.
To get everyone’s attention, the show had started off with male models parading in silk robes while toting pups from H.A.L.O., and it’s unclear whether it was the sexy models or the adorable mutts making their modeling debut that jump-started many a heart in the predominantly female crowd.
The unconventional style of fashion designer Sabre Mochachino was a perfect match for the pairing of pups and fashion. Attendees could easily imagine lounging at home, resplendent in a design from Mochachino’s new collection, “Dazzle,” alongside a four-legged friend or two.
Domenech utilized her expertise as an event planner to create an all-encompassing event, bringing people together through food, wine and music as a means to support local charities. She created a venue for a collective of nonprofits to raise awareness and funds through one fabulous soirée rather than saturating the market with competing events.
Photos by: Denise Ritchie and Stephanie LaBaff
Click HERE to see more or buy photos
