A NOTE FROM ME
Maybe it's the Cancer season... but I haven't been doing well. Anyway... apparently dog mums are the next big category. Between whatever EDERA is secretly cooking up (I found them on TikTok) and this Vienna-based luxury dog salon I somehow ended up following, one brand has quietly stayed in the back of my mind over the past year: Lil Luv Dog.
Dog mums are officially the new beauty consumers. Count yourself in?
THE ONE TO WATCH
LIL LUV DOG
This brand caught my eye a few years ago. It isn't reinventing the wheel—it's redesigning it. We've seen this playbook before (olive oil is probably the best example), and now Lil Luv Dog is doing the same for pet care. Taking an everyday category and making it feel desirable, elevated, and worth spending money on.
Via Instagram @lilluvdog
The New Luxury Consumer?
Dog Mums
ABOUT
Clean Beauty, but for Dogs — Founded by Cara Santana Leto and Stephanie Suganami, Lil Luv Dog reimagines pet care through the lens of modern beauty. The brand launched with clean, EWG Verified® grooming essentials designed to meet the same ingredient and design standards people expect from their own beauty routines.
Because your dog deserves the same standards you do — Rather than treating pet care as a basic necessity, Lil Luv Dog treats it like part of your lifestyle. Dry shampoo, daily wipes, travel-friendly grooming essentials and beautifully designed accessories—all with clean formulations and packaging that wouldn't look out of place in your own bathroom or bag.
Why their POV matters: Lil Luv Dog isn't trying to compete with traditional pet brands. It's borrowing the playbook from modern beauty brands instead. Much like clean beauty raised expectations for skincare, Lil Luv Dog is doing the same for pet care—proving that design, ingredients, sustainability, and storytelling can matter just as much in the dog aisle as they do in Sephora.
Via Instagram @lilluvdog
Think Elle Woods and Bruiser... just in 2026.
Owning a dog has become part of modern lifestyle culture. Just like beauty, interiors and fashion, people now want products that fit the life they're building. Maybe it's because more people are waiting longer to have children—or choosing not to at all—but one thing is clear: we're spending more money on our dogs than ever before. Lil Luv Dog isn't creating demand. It's simply elevating a category that's already becoming part of everyday life.
IF I WERE BUILDING THE NEXT PET BRAND...
01 — The morning routine
We've upgraded our own wellness routines with collagen, greens and probiotics. Dogs are probably next. The opportunity isn't another supplement brand—it's creating the AG1 of pet wellness with branding people actually want on their kitchen counter.
02 — The Row, but for dogs
Matching belts, collars and leads made from beautiful leather. Most brands stop at functionality. I'd love to see someone build a real “fashion house” for dogs—seasonal collections, timeless materials and accessories you'd proudly wear together.
03 — One Medical for dogs (Soho House style?)
A membership built around your dog's wellbeing. A Beautiful clinic, preventative healthcare, grooming, training, a café, curated retail, and an app that keeps everything in one place. Less waiting room at the vet. More Soho House meets One Medical—for dog parents.
Some brands already doing this beautifully:
Barney Bed — Luxury dog beds.
Franka — Feeding bowls for long-eared dogs.
Via Instagram @lilluvdog
I'm a sucker for anything lifestyle. There's something about taking everyday essentials and making them beautiful that gets me every time. I love brands that rethink ordinary categories instead of inventing new ones. Lil Luv Dog is easily one of the chicest pet brands I've come across—and I have a feeling we're only going to see more of this.
TO FOLLOW
PEOPLE, BRANDS
AND THINGS
This is basically my morning newspaper... Brand launches, campaigns, internet moments and the little cultural nuances everyone else seems to miss— always spot them here first.
Find PEOPLE BRANDS AND THINGS:
@peoplebrandsandthings
SAVED
SPARK IS BACK
Sweet and short... but I had to recommend this. Armani Beauty's Eye Tint has been my go-to lately. It's liquid, buildable. Perfect for Mallorca nights.
Shade 12 Shell S
(it’s rather more silver than champagne..)
See you next week.
*Visual rights belong to the respective brands. Images are clickable to their original sources.
NEXT WEEK
I haven’t decided yet.. Stay tuned.
Which companies inspire you? Leave a comment on Instagram below — I’d love to hear.