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A dog in a parachute briefly brought a London Fashion Week show to a standstill as British label Chopova Lowena sent canine models down a bowling alley runway.
The four-legged guest appeared reluctant to cross the gutter between the lanes, holding up the next model, who eventually had to overtake.
It was an unusually unscripted moment in a show that already featured dogs wearing capacious puffer jackets, futuristic headpieces and protective outfits that evoked a scene from science fiction more than a leafy park walk.
Another model carried a tiny dog bundled into a bright green inflatable coat, its head peeking out from the padded fabric.
A Chopova Lowena model holding the smallest canine model in a green puffer jacket (Jason Lloyd Evans/PA)
The dogs did not reappear for the final walk, leaving the human models to close the spring/summer 2027 show to a heavy metal soundtrack, with spectators packed along both sides of the bowling lanes.
The canine cast was part of an unlikely collaboration between Chopova Lowena and Lloyds Bank to raise awareness for the importance of insuring pets.
Designers Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons took the idea of dressing dogs to its logical extreme, creating a series of elaborate outfits inspired by everything from accidents to pet theft.
The dogs seemed bemused by the set-up (Jason Lloyd Evans/PA)
One dog wore a neon green airbag-style puffer jacket with black piping and an avant-garde headband, while another was dressed in an anti-theft outfit covered in protruding details, complete with a small security camera and flashing red light.
A third sported oversized goggles and a colourful parachute suspended above its back.
The three dogs who appeared on the runway in their outfits during a photoshoot before the show (Karl Hugill/PA)
The tongue-in-cheek designs were intended to demonstrate the lengths owners might have to go to protect their pets if clothing were their only defence against accidents.
For Chopova and Lowena-Irons, both dog owners themselves, the project was an opportunity to take the idea of keeping their pets safe to absurdly fashionable lengths.
Speaking ahead of the show, they said: “Our dogs are our worlds, so we know just how special pets are and how important it is to keep them safe.
“We felt passionately about finding a way to bring that feeling to life, letting our imaginations run wild and turning the idea of pet safety into an exciting visual representation.”
The smallest dog in the show getting dressed backstage (Karl Hugill/PA)
The label said the outfits were developed in consultation with veterinarians, who were also present during fittings and at the show, and that the dogs taking part were trained.
But the canine couture was only one part of a collection that embraced the sort of organised chaos Chopova Lowena has made its trademark.
Titled X/LUCKY SPIRIT LOST STRIKE/X, the spring/summer 2027 show took place on a bowling alley, with models walking along the wooden lanes as guests watched from either side.
The setting suited a collection that looked as though it had been assembled from the wardrobes of several varying subcultures.
There were checked skirts, oversized collars, graphic prints, layered jersey, brightly coloured tights and heavy footwear, with silhouettes drawn from school uniforms, vintage sportswear and Victorian dress alike.
Models doing the final walk for the Copova Lowena show (Jason Lloyd Evans/PA)
The brand’s characteristic clashing colours and textures appeared throughout, with green emerging as a particularly prominent shade, from the dog’s clothes to the models’ dresses and accessories.
A green floral dress with puffed sleeves and a row of oversized white buttons was paired with black lipstick and tousled hair, while other looks featured striped tops, red sequined trousers and patterned headscarves.
The styling was deliberately confrontational, with belts slung low over layered dresses, colourful socks worn with chunky shoes and fabrics that seemed to have been pulled from entirely different outfits.
Designer duo Emma Chopova (left) and Laura Lowena-Irons on the runway in their designs (Jason Lloyd Evans/PA)
Yet beneath the apparent disorder was the familiar Chopova Lowena formula, filled with folkloric references, punk styling and a willingness to make clothes push the confines of mainstream silhouettes.
Nearly a decade after launching their label, Chopova and Lowena-Irons have built a recognisable fashion vocabulary around upcycled textiles, kitschy prints and their distinctive carabiner-fastened skirts.
This season suggested they are still finding new ways to make it feel unexpected.
And while the human models offered plenty of outfit inspiration, it was difficult to compete with a tiny dog wearing a puffer jacket.