At Waggo, our dogs inspire us daily. They encourage us to create, design, and discover new things; our furry loves serve as the inspiration for all the amazing things we produce for them. We know other dog-loving designers, artists, and entrepreneurs feel the same way.
This is the second post in our interview series, and we recently had the pleasure of chatting with the creative forces behind the captivating Tumblr sensation, Menswear Dog.

Humans David and Yena, and four-legged, four-year-old star Bodhi, are the trio behind the “feel-good images” that encourage better fashion and style – in an irresistible, totally loveable way.

Menswear Dog features various photo shoots and fashion campaigns that all revolve around Bodhi, a ridiculously dapper Shiba Inu. He’s usually dressed in stylish menswear – but there are a few casual selfies on the blog, too.

Getting a dog wasn’t even something David and Yena planned, but when they met Bodhi in a pet store, “it was like he had mind control,” David recalls. “He wanted us to take him home; peered into our souls with his wet brown eyes and that day we left the pet store with a dog that totally changed our lives.”

Menswear Dog originated in much the same way: as a spur-of-the-moment, completely unplanned but totally perfect thing when it happened. “We always knew he was a handsome fella,” David says. He and Yena threw a shawl cardigan on Bodhi one day when they were bored and had been inspired to play dress-up from watching Fantastic Mr. Fox a few days earlier.

When they posted the picture to Facebook, they knew they had stumbled upon something fun. The first picture of Bodhi dressed up in men’s clothes, according to David, “got more likes than either of us ever got on our photos combined.” The next day, they posted more photos on Tumblr, and a fashion icon was born.

While Bodhi is busy ruling the roost as resident CEO, David and Yena have enjoyed using their highly-popular blog as a creative outlet. “Whether it’s photography, menswear, or graphic design, we’re learning new thing and honing out skills,” David explains. “The best part is that we’re able to do that with our favorite subject: Bodhi. When we look back in a few years, we’ll have an archive filled with memories with our dog, and the people we met along the way.” Those memories will be priceless.

They do still face some challenges when it comes to running their business; while they started Menswear Dog as a fun project, they’ve since quit their day jobs to run the brand full-time. “One of the biggest challenges is finding that perfect balance between work, life and love,” David says. When he and Yena realized their creativity flowed best when they were happy and stress-free, they started planning for breaks in order to “live life and be inspired by it.”

Of course, Bodhi helps with keeping David and Yena relaxed. “Besides being the model/CEO, he’s also in charge of stress management,” according to David. “It’s proven that petting a dog helps your body release endorphins….When we’re stressed out, he senses and just quietly sits with us so we can pet him. He’s also the independent kind, who only comes over when he sees fit, so it means that much more.”

And Bodhi hasn’t forgotten the little guys on his rise to the top. Bodhi and Menswear Dog are collaborating with Rescue Paw Foundation in order to provide food and care for shelter animals. A portion of the proceeds that Bodhi raises on Menswear Dog’s current Indiegogo campaign (launched to fund their first canine capsule collection) will be donated to the foundation to help animals in need.

If you need extra motivation to click that link, I’ve been told there are very cute photos of Bodhi in a suit waiting for you if you do.