What is Funari?
Funari NY is a luxury clothing brand with a modern take on unisex apparel. The brand was founded by Janelle Funari, a fashion veteran whose expertise in active apparel and swimwear led her to create her own brand in 2016. What started as bold designs in activewear expanded to many more categories: jackets, dresses, swimwear and more!
The brand is characterized by its chic, Italian-made designs. What also sets them apart is their apparel’s intended audience. While many of their pieces can be worn by women or men, they can also upgrade your pet’s closet!
That’s right, nearly every Funari look has a matching ensemble for your pet. Now dog lovers can celebrate their little loved ones with the gift of twinning! While the concept of puppy couture isn’t brand new, Funari claims it with an authority. They are one of the few brands that applies the same design principles and luxury fabrics they use for human apparel to puppy clothing, too!
One pet in particular can be thanked for this: the founder’s French bulldog Maxine. Credited as the brand’s ”muse”, Maxine’s own lack of couture options inspired Janelle to create matching sets for pets and owners. With Funari, she envisioned a fashion landscape where pets were allowed the same gift of expression as their owners. Her vision resulted in Funari’s currently available matching sets as well as special occasion puppy apparel.
Funari at NYFW
I had the pleasure of attending Funari’s runway show at NYFW 2022. We were in town to catch some shows, and Funari’s founder Janelle was gracious enough to give us press access. We arrived to the show’s venue – Sony Hall – right on time, but we faced a little trouble at the door. A certain security guard didn’t seem to understand the concept of press passes, names on lists or active listening.
After finally getting the okay to enter, we headed straight for the auditorium where Funari along with 3 other designers, would present their collections. The space was packed with fashionable people buzzing in anticipation for the shows. There was a joyful, slightly anxious energy as everyone waited for these lauded designers to show us their latest fashions.
Finally, the giant screen announced the night’s opener: Funari! After a brief video introduction, their first model strutted on stage in a fantastic look with an adorable dog. They were immediately met with cheers from the crowd and hundreds of camera flashes. I doubt everyone expected such a playful opening to Fashion Week!
Even I was entranced by the colorful fashions on both model and dog. The spell was only strengthened as each pair that followed was more spectacular than their predecessor!
Every duo was captivating. One bulldog had a little trouble walking the length of the runway, but their model companion did a great job of improvising. Rather than forcing the pup to walk further, he kneeled down and posed from the middle of the runway. It was a sweet gesture that worked magic on the room.
The chemistry between each model and dog paired with their matching, trendsetting apparel made for a truly unforgettable show!
While this was our first Funari show, we hope it won’t be our last. It’s clear the brand has a great vision for luxury, pet-friendly apparel. We look forward to seeing its future iterations at the next Fashion Week and beyond!
