Lauren Stevenson & Dougal

Lauren and Dougal making the fashion world go round

Head of global PR for online luxury fashion retailer my-wardrobe.com, Lauren Stevenson and French Bulldog, Dougal talk AW12 trends, bad wind and Yasmin Le Bon.

I arrived at my-wardrobe HQ in north London to be greeted by a very petite Lauren Stevenson, global PR Director for my-wardrobe.com and a rather more stocky, Dougal, her fawn French Bulldog. Dressed in an bright pink Goat dress and black patent Louboutin heels (Lauren that is), I got the distinct impression that this pooch is no stranger to the bright lights of the camera. I had however been warned about an earlier incident involving the Brand Partnership Director, a pair of powder blue drop-crotch D&G chino’s and a large amount of drool.

How is it owning a dog in a busy city like London?

French bulldogs are ideal for city-living because they are small, compact and they don’t need much exercise. On the downside though,  they do hate to be left-alone for too long. Dougal spends two days a week here with me at my-wardrobe.com, two days with my husband Chris at his agency and one day at Urban Kennels in Clapham. Most of the time he doesn’t want to come home!

How has Dougal taken to life in the fashion industry?

He’s fitted in very well. He comes on meetings with me a lot. In fact, I’m off to meet an editor this afternoon and he’s coming along. It can be difficult to find dog-friendly restaurants and cafe’s in London though unfortunately. He’s not always welcome!

What are French Bulldogs like as a breed?

They are such lovely dogs. They adore company and need lots and lots of attention to keep them happy! Because of their calm nature they’re also really good with children. They can struggle in the heat though, so we make sure we walk him early in the morning or late in the evening when it’s hotter and keep him hydrated with plenty of Evian in the office!

What’s his diet like?

Dougal has Royal Canin’s special mix for French Bulldog’s which is formulated specifically for the breed. He also goes mad for Mini-Jacks by James Wellbeloved.

What advice would you give to new dog owners?

We met with a trainer before we bought Dougal home. The best advice we were given was to keep him on our lap in the car on the way home from the breeder. It’s the first time he’d been away from his Mum and keeping him in a box or a cage in the back of the car would have been terrifying for him.

She also told us how to introduce Dougal and our cat Minnie. We held him on a leash, rather than keeping him in a cage to let them socialise properly without feeling trapped or restrained. Minnie’s been the lady of the manor for so long, so it took some adjusting!

OK, enough about the pooch. Tell us about next season. What can we expect?

We’re really excited about the AW12 season! my-wardrobe.com is launching a host of new brands including Red Valetino, Derek Lam – 10 Crosby, Raoul and Lucy Choi. Trends wise we’re looking forward to seeing a rich autmnal colour palette, lots of leather and plenty of shimmer and shine.

 

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS – DOUGAL

Favourite things in your wardrobe right now: Everything by LoveMyDog, my Mulberry Blue Mackintosh and my Ralph Lauren cashmere roll neck.

Your favourite things to do:  Barking at Minnie – the cat and chasing runners around Clapham Common.

All time Favourite Film: The Artist. It’s French and the dog was magnifique!

Best Walk: I love the Outer Circle at Richmond Park. Yasmin Le Bon fell in love with me in Richmond Park. True story.

Favourite Pub:  The nice people at the Engineer in Primrose Hill serve a lovely cold bowl of water a dog biscuit.

All-time favourite treat: James Wellbeloved Mini-Jacks!

Worst Habit I am a little over-ambitious with my bones sometimes which can end badly. Oh and wind. Bad wind.

 

You can shop the trends (but you can’t buy Dougal unfortunately) at www.my-wardrobe.com

ST x

Category : Style Tailors