TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — University of Arizona fashion students are putting dogs on the runway for their eighth annual Dogs 'n Denim fashion show. This year they're adding dogs with disabilities to their usual line-up of service animals.
The free event takes place Thursday, Oct. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at McClelland Park on the University of Arizona campus. The show highlights both fashion design skills and raises awareness about service animals and dogs with disabilities, according to students Amaya Williams and Sydney Nolin, who joined the class specifically for this show.
"Just to spread awareness on like service animals and dogs with disabilities," Williams said about the show's purpose.
"Not only can service dogs help their owners but owners can also help their dogs," Nolin said.
All 24 pieces in the show were made completely from scratch using scraps of denim donated by the community. The students found designing for dogs slightly less challenging than creating human clothing.
"There aren't as many points where you have to make sure it measures perfectly," Nolin said. "Sometimes you can just use a little elastic, but we are making sure the quality is still up to standard."
Each dog model gets to keep their custom denim outfit after the show. The event serves as a platform to demonstrate that dogs with limited mobility still have unlimited possibilities.
The show represents 8 years of University of Arizona fashion students combining their design skills with community awareness, creating custom denim pieces while celebrating the capabilities of all dogs, regardless of physical limitations.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
