THE Scottish inventor of the canine onesie has been asked to kit out a Dulux dog.
Seamstress Aileen Perry gets up to 30 orders a day from around the world for her dog onesies just a year after setting up her business.
Business for the Elgin entrepreneur is going so well she has had to hire a kiltmaker to help her keep pace.
But the 50-year-old’s biggest breakthrough came recently when she was asked to make a onesie for a Dulux dog.
The Old English Sheepdogs have, for decades, fronted one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history.
Aileen’s tartan onesie now keeps Aslan the Old English Sheepdog clean and dry between photoshoots.
The onesies, which are sold for up to £50, stop pooches getting too wet or muddy on walks. Fans from as far afield as the US and Australia have been bombarding Elaine with orders.
She has now applied to patent the design, which is a full body suit with a hood and elasticated cuffs. She first came up with the idea after becoming frustrated with her own dog coming back from walks covered in mud.
Aileen made the first of two coats for Aslan last month after a special request from his owner, who was taking him to a photo shoot in Dublin.
She said: “It was very exciting. I had to drop everything and rush this coat to Dublin. He had to look all fluffy and fabulous for the shoot – he needed the coat to keep him beautiful when he went out for a pee. He’s a very coiffeured dog.
She added: “It’s like with an actress – you can’t go getting all wet in the rain when you go out for a pee. You can’t afford to get a dog’s fur wet and wait hours to get it dry.
“It is so exciting. I’m running on adrenalin. When I was growing up wanting to be a vet I never thought I’d be sewing up coats for the Dulux dog.”
Aslan’s owner, Fiona Mullen, from Dublin, said: “He’s the Dulux dog for Ireland. He’s been working for Dulux for 6 years – he does photos,interviews and he’s been on TV here.
“He wears the coats for going to shows and promotions. They’re ideal – You can imagine it’s a nightmare having a big hairy dog and trying to keep him clean.”
