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#Winnie Au
All images © Winnie Au, designs © Marie-Yan, shared with permission
Protecting an injured paw or pesky stitches never looked so good. Winnie Au (previously) upends the humiliating nature of Elizabethan collars as she photographs hounds sporting stylish takes on the medical devices for her series Cone Of Shame.
Au began the project back in 2017 in collaboration with designer Marie-Yan Morvan as a way to showcase dogs’ unique personalities and turn otherwise torturous ruffs into spectacular accessories. Using materials like paper and tulle, and more unconventional finds like dissolvable insulation foam and candy buttons, the pair fashioned a wide array of designs much more glamorous and charming than their veterinarian-issued counterparts. “Each dog, cone, and backdrop has been conceived as a mash-up of abstract shapes, tones, and textures. No longer turning dogs into laughing stocks, these collars become works of art,” Au says.
A new book published by Union Square & Co. collects photos of 60 dogs donning the fashionable ruffs, 48 of which haven’t been shared before. While the core concept is the same as when the series began, the pair incorporated newer technologies into recent images, including the inflatable rings that have grown in popularity. They also worked with new breeds and materials in what Au describes as “my love letter to all the good dogs out there.”
Cone Of Shame will be released on July 9 and is available for pre-order in the Colossal Shop. Find more from Au on Instagram.
#dogs
#humor
#Winnie Au
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