After moving to NOLA in June of 2015, my pup Daisy and I were having a pretty ruff time fitting in... The neighborhood dogs just didn't seem to notice her. One day, our roommate Buddy dog, made note that him and all his dog friends have matching collars -- Buddy's collar had a fleur de lis pattern, while some other dogs might go for the crawfish, or snowballs pattern. They look at it like a friendship collar, letting all the other dogs know you are a cool and friendly dog. His human directed me to NOLA Couture. After much begging, I took Daisy down to NOLA Couture on Magazine Street. She immediately picked out the navy blue collar with pink fleur de lis, it screamed "I can hold my own and get dirty, but I like to be treated like a princess, too." Unfortunately, they didn't have her size in stock. Daisy was disappointed... But the sales lady said "its not called Nola Couture for nothin'." The store offered to have it made in her size, in about two weeks. Daisy was ecstatic and was willing to wait. A custom collar for her little girly neck and to fit her tomboy personality and style. The two week wait flew by, maybe that's because it didn't take two weeks, maybe a week and a half. When it finally arrived she put it on before even leaving the store. She proudly pranced all the way home with a newfound confidence and feeling of community and family, and every dog began to notice. In just an instant, Daisy became a NOLA Dog.
The story doesn't stop there. The community feeling doesn't just dwell in the Nola Dogs, but their humans too! With cute t-shirts, belts, dresses, ties, even key chains, you can become a Nola Person. The best part about Nola Couture is their willingness to please their customers no matter how big or small. Just before the Holiday season, Daisy's roommate Buddy succumbed to his terminal illness. Although, the housemates (both humans and dogs) knew his ultimate fate since his diagnosis, the loss came suddenly and hit everyone hard, especially Buddy's human and bff for 8 crazy years. It was Daisy's idea to make a memory of Buddy that his human could always keep close to him and let all Buddy's friends be sure to keep him in their friendship. Just as Buddy lead Daisy to Nola Couture in the beginning, Daisy knew to go to Nola Couture for the end. I contacted Nola Couture to inquire about the possibility of making Buddy's collar into a keychain for Christmas. The main concern I had was, that after all this time, Buddy's collar was actually not an official Nola Couture collar, it was gift that looked similar, but came from another store in New England. The manager at Nola Couture was delighted we had come to them for this special gift, and was more than willing to make it happen. I dropped of the collar, and less than two weeks later, just in time for Christmas, the keychain was ready to be picked up. We picked up the keychain, and they also handed us what remained of the collar. Once holding it, Daisy recognized the scent, and the tears began to flow though the smiles from the memories it brought back. The store associates thanked us for letting them be a part of the story, and we were infinitely grateful for their services.
NOLA Couture, for me, will be my go-to for gifts for pets and friends. For Daisy, it will be her go-to shop for a free biscuit and sip of water on long walks. We thank them and hold them in our hearts for their willingness to welcome us to NOLA and treat us and our pets like family. read more