rajeev basu makes luxury padded helmets for dogs to sleep in

new york-based creative director, rajeev basu, has launched a range of handmade high fashion helmets. for dogs. the irreverent headgear has been created as part of a project called ‘between two naps’, which is releasing experimental products for man’s best friend inspired by how much they sleep.

images courtesy of between two naps

between two naps is inspired by remy – a very sleepy puppy that rajeev basu adopted a year ago: ‘I had no idea dogs slept so much. I think remy has taken it up competitively’. as a chiweenie (a dachshund/chihuahua mix), he gets cold easily so rajeev looked into buying coats for him. but he soon found that clothing designed for dogs tend to be a little cutesy or ‘basic’. ‘I wondered if I could make something a little more interesting, irreverent, and with a sharper aesthetic. I’m a big fan of brands like OAMC, craig green, raf simons, and early maison margiela,’ comments the designer.

the helmets are soft and padded with down alternative, use japanese parts, and luxury fabrics from france and italy. they are designed to keep dogs warm and nap-ready wherever they are. each is one-of-a-kind and handmade in new york. ‘we only make one of each helmet. both to keep them special, and so we can focus on coming up with new ideas,’ says rajeev.

rajeev continues, ‘I have no fashion background. but I thought it would be fun to do a project with remy’. in his spare time, rajeev designed and constructed the helmets from scratch. kelly miller – a veteran fashion designer who has worked at brands including rebecca minkoff, kate spade, and tommy hilfiger – acted as a creative advisor. new collections will be released in the coming months. pieces will continue to be one-of-a-kind or very small run. you can follow the project on instagram and via the website here.

project info:

project name: between two naps

creative director: rajeev basu

creative consultant: kelly miller

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom