“I have strictly been designing couture for dogs,” Rubio told me. “This is only the third time that I also designed women’s wear.”

And design he did! The women and dogs wowed the crowd.

Rubio had just returned from vacationing in Italy. “It’s non-stop,” he said. “I’ve been invited to so many shows. I’m getting to be known as the designer with the dogs, and I’m breaking the mold. In the past, you might’ve seen dogs used as fashion accessories, but in my shows, it’s the humans that are the accessories.”

There were people streaming in, hurrying to get seats. Socialite Eric Andrew stopped for a moment to say he loves attending New York City fashion events. “I feel very fortunate that I can go to so many. I love Anthony Rubio’s fashions, and I’m looking forward to the show! Excuse me, I have to go grab my spot.”

Rubio said, “I’ve done shows before, but this was a crunch. I was receiving e-mails while I was still in Italy. It was at the end of my trip. I said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this in so little time.’ They said, ‘Of course you can!’ [Laughs] Sometimes I amaze myself. I don’t know how I get it all done especially because I’m a perfectionist and my own worst critic. But it all came together for the show, and I feel happy.”

Rubio’s inspirations for this Spring 2016 line came from his vacation in Italy and “a lot of movies.” He described his fashion line as “affordable luxury.” The show included couture gowns and cocktail dresses with lace.

Of course, I have the doggie moms come along,” said Rubio. “After all, the dogs are their babies. I have the moms come backstage because I don’t want anybody else dressing their furbabies. And it brings the doggie moms into the experience, too, so everybody is having fun.”

Morgan Avila owns four Leonbergers. Magneto (above) was a winner at Westminster. She is teaching him rat hunting. “It is finding rats in barns and being able to chase and corner them so that they can be collected and given to the proper authorities who like taking rats,” she said, adding that another of her Leonbergers, Mr. America, “does a lot of movies. He did ‘The Equalizer’ with Denzel Washington. He’s also done plenty of theater work, ‘Annie,’ ‘Peter Pan,’ ‘Oliver Twist,’ ‘The Miracle Worker,’ ‘A Christmas Carol.’” Her dog Hollywood, a dock diver, travels with Avila to many states where he wins AKC titles. “All of my dogs are champions in the AKC.”

Avila said that Rubio made a special outfit for Magneto to walk down the runway tonight, “but I didn’t get to see it yet. I have to get to wardrobe.” She smiled and waved goodbye as she and Magneto hurried into the already-canine-crowded elevator.

“My Boston Terrier Rita had been kept in a crate for five months in a hoarding situation until I I rescued her, and now Rita is modeling,” Patrice Scalera shared. “I trained her and desensitized her so she’d be comfortable around people, and now she is, and she’s signed up with a talent agency, All Creatures Great and Small. She’s obedience trained, and we do trick training now. I also just rescued a Frenchton named Francis.”

I learned that a Frenchton is half “Frenchie” [French Bulldog] and half “Boston” [Boston Terrier]. “Dog fashion designer Ada Nieves always laughs when we have them both in the show,” Scalera said. “She sees Francis and Rita playing, and it’s like a comedy routine. You can’t tell who is cuter.”

Scalera runs a small home-based business. “It’s called PAWfect Dog Beds,” she said. “If I get $35 dollars on a bed, I then give $5 dollars towards animal rescue.”

Ilene Zeins said she and her ZZ will be attending the upcoming “Strut Your Mutt” walk and the Ronald McDonald House “Family Fun Dog Walk.” In June, they went to the “Fabulous Fur-Baby Cotillion” in Florida. “We had a lot of fun,” Zeins said. “ZZ was a debutante and introduced to society; something I never had the opportunity to do [Laughs].”

Summer Strand goes to as many charity events as she can. She said the doggie community here in New York City is growing. “We’ve been a tightly knit group for years, but always welcome new, warm, friendly souls — two-legged and four-legged,” she explained. When I asked about her favorite rescues she said, “I think all rescues are awesome” before adding, “We love to helpWaggin’ Tails Dog Rescue, Sean Casey Animal Rescue and Soi Dog Foundation.” Strand is a personal trainer. She goes to her clients’ homes and teaches them fitness moves they can do with their pet.

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Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts opens July 1.
It’s about a simple guy (Hanks) who gets fired when the company downsizes. With a desire to start over he goes to college. There he develops a crush on his teacher (Roberts). Their lives had seemed sadly stalled but then an unexpected lesson comes along and rejuvenates both of them.

John Carpenter’s The Ward opens July 8
The master of horror, best known for directing Halloween, hadn’t directed a feature film in nearly a decade. Now he’s back with this story of a girl who wakes up in a psychiatric hospital after being caught for pyromania—she burned down a farmhouse. At the hospital she is disoriented and suffering from amnesia. The lighting is dark and creepy, there’s oodles of strange noises and malevolent ghosts. The other girls begin to inexplicably disappear. It’s not a great film but for those who like cheap thrills and jumping out of their seats, it’s fun summer entertainment.

Project Nim opens July 8 at the Angelika Film Center
Nim is a chimpanzee who became the subject of a 1970s experiment to see if an ape could learn to communicate with language if he were raised like a human child. It is a heartbreaking and unsettling biography of a chimp that people tried to make human. It’s more than just a documentary, this film will leave you feeling deeply moved.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 opens July 15
This is the epic finale. The battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort.

Captain America: The First Avenger opens July 22
Based on a Marvel comic book, this movie is about a U.S. World War II army soldier who agrees to a top-secret military experiment. He is given supernatural powers and proceeds to use them to defeat his nemesis, The Red Skull. Lots of action and fight scenes.

BOOKS

I’m a Fan: How I married U2 into my life without going to the altar by Eric Shivvers
This is an inside look into one of U2’s most passionate fans. The author, a devotee of the Irish band for over 25 years, takes us on his personal journey. From the collapse of his parent’s marriage to sitting on Oprah’s couch shortly before Bono takes the stage for a taping, Eric shares with us his parent’s divorce, his battle with depression and more of life’s pitfalls, while U2 sits in the background playing the soundtrack. www.iamau2fan.com

The Social Climber’s Handbook by Molly Jong-Fast
This satire of Upper East Side elitists takes place during the Wall Street crash of 2008 and centers on socialite Daisy Greenbaum who will stop at nothing to prevent her husband from being laid off in order to hold onto his paycheck and her luxury lifestyle. She’ll do anything to protect her future shopping sprees even if it means murdering his boss. Though killing starts out as a solution to a pesky problem, it soon becomes a bit of a bad habit. You’ll lol as you whip through the pages. A deeply twisted tale was never so much fun. www.mollyjongfast.com

THEATER

You’ve Got Hate Mail is a hilarious Off-Broadway Van Zandt & Milmore comedy hit about an extra-marital affair going terribly awry when a juicy email is accidentally sent to the cheated-upon wife. “The perfect bedroom farce, expertly directed, riotously enacted by a five-person ensemble,” said the NY Post. “It doesn’t get better than this!” said Show Business Weekly. The playwrights have been called “the masters of modern farce” by The New York Times and are among the most produced playwrights in the world for over three decades. The show is performed weekly every Friday at 7 pm at The Triad Theatre. www.youvegothatemail.com

War Horse has been nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Play. The star of the show is Joey, a life-size horse puppet. Experience the magical, mesmerizing bond that takes place between the entire audience and Joey. The story is set at the outbreak of World War I. The central character, a beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. The play is based on the inspiring, moving novel by Michael Morpuro. Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones won a Special Tony Award for Handspring Puppet Company’s Artistic Achievement. The scale of the puppet is a dazzling thrill. Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center. www.lct.org

The Off- Broadway hit Murdered by the Mob is celebrating its 15^th anniversary and shows no signs of slowing down. Mingle with mobsters, and maybe you’ll be made an offer you can’t refuse! The two and a half hour comedy features a sit-down dinner and dancing Presented by Murder Mystery, Inc., the company that has brought interactive mysteries for over 20 years now, the show can be found at Arno Ristorante on 141 West 38^th, just a few blocks from Times Square. info@murdermysteryinc.com

The Book of Mormon made history by hitting number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Created by Matt Parker and Trey Stone (South Park) it follows a pair of mismatched Mormon boys sent on a mission to AIDS-ridden, poverty-stricken Uganda to spread the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is the oddest premise for a Broadway musical—but it works. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it “a musical blast: not just funny as hell, funnier.” The Village Voice said to “ask yourself, ‘Dear God, how do I get tickets?’” Eugene O’Neill Theater, 250 West 49^th Street. www.bookofmormonbroadway.com

ART

Otherworldly: Optical Delusions and Small Realities
While the digital world continues to expand, a profound human need to re-experience the actual and tangible has also arisen. People spend more and more time staring into a monitor or smart phone in order to interact with others in cyberspace. Now the pleasures of making things by hand in the real world has an increased appeal. Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), 2 Columbus Circle between 8^th and Broadway. www.madmuseum.org

Bastille Day on 60^th Street
Each year this event brings the best of France to New York for an afternoon of activities and delights for the entire family. Kids can have their faces painted and play games at the Kids Corner booth. Enjoy music all day, French eats and a myriad of attractions provided by artists and artisans from France.  On 60^th Street, Sunday, July 10, Noon–5pm. Free and open to the public. www.bastilledaynyc.com

Drop-In Art Workshop
Pre-school and young elementary-age children can enjoy their creativity at this lovely art studio. They’ll make exciting projects inspired by the lively, colorful world of artist Maira Kalman. The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92^nd Street. www.thejewishmuseum.org

The Art Center, Mostly Art Summer Program Your child can spend one or more weeks this summer drawing, painting and sculpting, listening to stories, and enjoying active breaks. There’s a high ratio of teachers to students so children receive personal attention. Monday through Thursday: 9am–3pm, Friday: 9am through noon. Generous snack provided. Children bring their lunch Monday through Thursday. While eating, they’re read fairytales and fables. The Art Center, 423 East 75^th Street (between York and First Avenue). www.theartcenterny.com

This article was published in the July 2011 issue of the New York Resident magazine.

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