FICHISSIMO

A Dog’s Life – ISSIMO x POLDO

By ISSIMO15 January 20213 min read

Photo courtesy Poldo Couture

Let’s celebrate dogs

ISSIMO x Poldo is a love letter to our furry four legged friends and celebrates canine wellbeing mixed with a lot of love of Italy. Il Tricolore, the green, white and red Italian flag, colours the ISSIMO-curated line up that includes a handcrafted leather and soft nylon leash as well as collar, a red and white striped bowl and the coziest and most portable bed striped in the Tricolore’s red and white stripes, and lined in green.

Wellbeing, entertainment, food, experiences, style and travel, it’s a dog’s life these days. We know it and love going down the virtual rabbit hole of dog pampering. Google “dog clothing” and you’ll go Pet Co to Moncler in five seconds. Search “dog travel” and you’ll sift through a mountain of articles and sites dedicated to how, when and where to bring your pup. Key in “dog health” and you’ll be introduced to a world of pet chiropractors, psychologists, acupuncturists and more, all focusing on the wellbeing of your best friend.

There is something about the unconditional love of a dog that makes us unconditionally love them and pamper them. ISSIMO’s Marie-Louise grew up surrounded by dogs, thanks to her mom, writer and painter Marie-Louise Brulator Mills, who’s been rescuing greyhounds for more than 30 years.

“ Lord, help me be the person my dog thinks I am’- that’s my mantra”
Marie-Louise Brulatour Mills

“My mom love hers dogs more than her kids”, laughs Marie-Louise, while Mills insists that it’s not true. “All of my children always say that. They [the dogs] needed me more and I’ve always been passionate about animal rescue.” Over the past 30 years, Mills has taken in 15 greyhounds, not to mention the numerous dogs she’s helped rescue. She’s a dedicated pet owner who is out the door at 4:45 am for her dog Marin Marais.

“You know, I once was seeing someone who told me “It’s either me or the dogs”. I responded “Let me think about it” and I think that was a little tense”, tells Mills. Suffice to say, the relationship never moved forward.

Care, love and attention given to dogs comes right back, and to Mills, it makes for a better person. “It’s all about inner being, and dogs know that.”

Marie-Louise has that same unyielding love and is the proud padrona of Julian and Gala, two wired hair dachshunds. Protective and frugally friendly, as dachshunds are wont, Julian and Gala travel the up and down the Italian coast with Marie-Louise, visiting each of the Pellicano Hotels every summer, but stay at home when she travels out of country.

Julian and Gala, Marie-Louise’s dogs, on the Roman streets

Italy’s infamous strict lockdown changed everything, her dogs were more than her constant companions, and they were inspirations. “We have to remember that dogs saved us [during Italy’s lockdown] because of their closeness to us and the fact that we could get out of the house”.

“You know, true dog lifestyle is a great place to sleep, look good and be loved.”
Marie-Louise Sciò

Rethinking the Pellicano’s dog amenities launched a collaboration with Milan-based Poldo Dog Couture who’ve been tailoring luxury canine apparel with Italian chic, artisanal craftsmanship and high quality materials. “The hotels have always had a dog friendly policy. And we wanted to step up the game. Poldo is great quality, great design, and made with palpable love, exactly what we do on ISSIMO”, says Marie-Louise.