An Interview with CBX’s David Fung, the Human Behind Bodhi (aka Menswear Dog), the Fashionable Pooch Gone Viral.
Saturday January 26th a picture was posted on Facebook, by Sunday it was submitted for trademarking along with debuting on Tumblr. Come Monday, GQ had blogged about it. The following week Anderson Cooper, The Today Show, The Daily Beast, GMA, Laughing Squid and many more were all a twitter with features of this viral pooch. CBX publicist Christine C. sits down with David Fung for the full story.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> How did you come up with the idea of Menswear Dog? </span>

<strong>DF:</strong> It was the combination of a lazy Saturday, idle hands and a handsome 2-year-old Shiba. So we decided to dress him up in my clothes. Bodhi loved it! We posted the one photo on Facebook as a joke and our friends and family thought it was real!

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> Tell me what a typical day in Bodhi’s life is like</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> Bodhi (who’s named after Patrick Swayze’s character in the movie <em>Point Blank</em>, by the way) comes from a breed known for being stubborn and very independent. He exhibits all the classic traits. At first it was painful, but now he is this quirky dog who does his own thing. He spends his day sleeping and lounging around the house, with two long walks per day from his dog walker. He has gotten over the shoe chewing phase and just sticks to his toys now.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> Perhaps that is where his love of fashion came from? The years of chewing on expensive Italian leather shoes?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> HA! That just may be true!!

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> What are some of Bodhi’s daily fashion reads?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> He loves blogs at the moment. His daily blog roll would be: Satorialist and a range of men blogs; he also has a big interest in street wear fashion and headwear. It’s more about looking cool, while still staying cool this season, and less about layering.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> Are there any articles of clothing that he doesn’t dig ?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> It’s all about trial and error. The success so far has to do with Bodhi being so emotive. It makes him more humanlike and creates this blurry line between man and dog. Bow ties, for example, are a little too cute and make him look simply like a dog that is wearing a bow tie.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> What is the most surprising thing that has happened to you since the media frenzy?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> We knew this would appeal to dog lovers, but what’s been most surprising has been how the fashion world has responded. The reaction has been very positive. The  “we want to dress like this dog” meme is almost hater proof. You kind of look like an asshole if you’re hating on a dog, right?

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> What brands would you like to see him in?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> Come spring, fans can look forward to a wardrobe more street wear based— more urban wear, straight brim hats, and sneakers, special editions of course. The focus will shift from what he is wearing per se and more about how to pair outfits.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> Does he have a favorite Pantone color?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> Blue is his hot color. Royal blue looks magnificent paired with his golden tan fur.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> What has been your fave appearance so far?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> The first one—GQ—really meant a lot.  We were the first dog featured in GQ for style. Also, the milestone we hit and then everything else that’s followed.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> If this fabulous dog could be the spokes-canine for any brand, which one would you want it to be and why?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> We are really into these smaller brands like Gitman or the Hill-side. They do these really well made shirts and accessories. But we wouldn’t be opposed to Bodhi modeling on a larger stage.  A good match might be with Uniqlo, a Japanese brand that could feature a Japanese breed.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> So what does the future hold for this fashionable fido? Is he thinking about expanding the brand?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> It’s a learning process—whether Bodhi remains an impartial voice or whether he starts to curate his own sense of style of branded looks.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> How is he on camera?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> He’s been awesome, taking it in, smiling, energetic, and he LOVES attention. He is the type of dog that will jump up and lick your face. At the end of the day, Bodhi’s a complete diva.

<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>CC:</strong> Any final thoughts or anything you’d like to share?</span>

<strong>DF:</strong> Thanks to everyone for their support of such a quirky, obscure idea. The goal of this was to make people smile and get a giggle. We are trying to keep that original intent alive. When it becomes work, we will stop. And if people keep supporting, we will keep posting. So please stay tuned: we are not going to give away any appearances but there are going to be more conceptual posts coming soon.

For more information: <a href="http://mensweardog.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">mensweardog.tumblr.com,</a> <a href="cbx.com @CBXtweets" target="_blank">cbx.com</a><a href="https://twitter.com/CBXtweets" target="_blank">, @CBXtweets</a>