US pet company launches Goop-like beauty and lifestyle brand for dogs

“When you go into a pet store, it almost feels patronising — the colours, the prints, the font,” said Ms Cara Santana Leto.

- Cheryl Wischhover

The branding on most dog care items, she feels, tends to range from blandly utilitarian to ugly and loud.

“I’m not sure who the products are being designed for or marketed to because it certainly isn’t us,” said Ms Stephanie Suganami.

And so the longtime friends created Lil Luv Dog in August as a corrective for what they called “vibeless” dog grooming products. Their target Gen Z or millennial customer buys his or her smoothies at organic food retailer Erewhon, and spends more on the dog than on himself or herself.

To achieve this goal, Lil Luv Dog is borrowing heavily from the beauty industry, using sleek branding and so-called clean ingredients in less wasteful packaging.

The founders cite American actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle empire Goop and Coterie, the baby-care company, as inspirations.

Lil Luv Dog’s packaging features muted colours and tasteful small illustrations on a white background.

Its first offering is a dry shampoo that is meant to freshen up the coat, condition the skin and fur, as well as extend the time between baths. To answer the most common question they get: Yes, people can use it. Depending on the packaging and size, it costs between US$26 (S$34) and US$36.

The founders have plenty of experience in the lifestyle space.

Ms Santana Leto, 40, is an actress who has appeared in multiple projects and recently directed her first documentary. She founded the now-defunct Glam App in 2015 and then helped develop beauty products at its competitor Glamsquad.

Ms Suganami, 36, best known as Steph Shep on social media, is an actress and influencer. She spent several years as American reality star Kim Kardashian’s assistant and then as her brand’s chief operation officer, helping to start Kardashian’s beauty line and fragrances.

Because both women are in the same social circles, they have tapped notable lifestyle founders and creatives in Los Angeles.