The Painter’s Wife: Fashion DNA and support to exploit Pitti’s pet niche

Same production chain, same suppliers, same mode of distribution and (almost) same customer. The pet market has seen unstoppable growth over the past decade, and while some fashion companies are already launching their collections to capitalize on this growth, others specializing in this segment are born. This is the case with a former Bimba y Lola and The Painter’s Wife, introduced by Sociedad Textil Lonia and currently has a presence in more than fifty outlets in twenty-three countries.

The brand, which even leaked into the first area that Pitti Uomo, one of the most important fashion fairs in the world, will allocate to this category, continues to exist in multi-storey stores such as El Palacio de Hierro or Harvey Nichols.

The idea came out of the hands of Rosana A. Agrelo in 2017., Bimba y Lola’s former communications director and husband, Josep Pintor, a veterinarian. “For many people, their dogs are like their children, and until now, animal clothing was only sold in specialized pet stores, and here it was another accessory,” Agrelo says. So the entrepreneurs started The Painter’s Wife, which specializes in dog fashion with a sustainable approach.

“More and more stores and players Recognizing the growth of this industry,” says the executive. The Painter’s Wife hired a team of professionals, all from the fashion industry, to capitalize on this work.

Among them is Sara Prieto. chief digital transformation the company, which has worked for companies such as Massimo Dutiti or Purificación García throughout his career; or Katie Savage, Sales Director who has worked with Fine Homes.

The Painter’s Wife produces 80% of her production in factories in nearby Portugal.

The company’s business model is quite similar to fashion. 80% of the company’s production is carried out in nearby, Portuguese factories that had until then only been built for humans, and at the state-owned company that prioritized materials such as organic cotton and recycled materials.

The big difference is the size, which goes from XS to XL and varies according to the weight of the pets. The Painter’s Wife initially made clothing mainly for dogs weighing one to five kilos.but the most common now are the large sizes for dogs between fourteen and twenty pounds.

The growth of the company is also based on its participation in international fairs such as Nuremberg or Munich. Also named Painter’s Wife for the new pet space launched by Pitti Uomo.

The organization of the event was the company that contacted the company so that they could participate in the Pitti Pets fair, which specializes in pet supplies, which will make its first call next year. Only fifteen brands specializing in both pet clothes and household goods for animals will attend the fair, which will take place at the Polveriera venue. Among them are brands such as Frida Firenze, Lollipet, Manto or Omniagioia, as well as The Painter’s Wife. Pitti’s aim with this event is to “take advantage of a rapidly expanding market segment”.

A thriving market

The pet products market has exploded over the past decade. According to the European Pet Food Federation (Fediaf), there are 88 million households with pets in Europe. Thanks to the new legislation, the integration of dogs into the family unit has also accelerated the sector.

In 2021, the global pet products and services market generated approximately $323 billion in revenue.According to Global Market estimates, it is expected to exceed $350,000 million by 2027.

The fastest growing markets are Asia Pacific, where sales of such products will increase 9.3%; Latin America, where the sector will experience an increase of 6.7 percent, and the Middle East with a growth of 5 percent. Large department stores like Selfridges, Harrod’s or Harvey Nichols already have sections dedicated to products for dogs.