Every October, more than 20 Ricky’s costume emporiums pop up around the city — but this year, the one on 86th Street and Lexington Avenue is different. It bares the familiar black, pink and turquoise signage, but it doesn’t stock sexy nurse and hot pirate costumes for college coeds.
It’s a Halloween “pup-up” shop, and it’s Ricky’s first ever costume store just for dogs.
“We’ve seen a steady increase in demand for pet costumes over the past few years,’’ says Richard Parrott, president of the edgy beauty chain. “We have listened to feedback from consumers that we should explore this category further.”
It’s certainly a lucrative category to explore. Last year in the United States, people spent $370 million on pet costumes, according to the National Retail Federation.
The 900-square-foot store on the busy Upper East Side corner features racks of doggy costumes ($9.99 to $210), from traditional bat and witch outfits to pop-culture- themed garb, like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga get-ups ($20 to $30, depending on size). There’s some non- Halloween canine clothing as well, including camel’s hair coats and faux fur wraps ($75 to $250) from the high-end Pazzo line. They’re stocked in a “Rich Bitch’’ section of the store that’s the canine equivalent of Bergdorf’s sixth floor.
The shop also has an “Inappropriate Pet Costume’’ section, offering less classy canine couture like a naughty maid’s outfit ($20), a “doginatrix’’ ($11.99) and even fake breasts ($50) that can be inserted into any costume.
“We have so many styles, and we can’t order them fast enough,’’ says Parrott. “Look, you can dress your dog in this,’’ he suggests, holding up a shredded white mummy sheath with holes for ears to poke through. “The owners go as a pharaoh and Cleopatra, and you have a little family.”
Overwhelmed owners and their dogs — pups are welcome in the shop and greeted with treats — can get assistance from the store’s “concierge.” For a mere $25, the costume expert will help put together a uniquely clever look for Fido; for $40 he will also style the owner. “The concierge can really help if you want your dog to go as Zombie Beyoncé, for instance,’’ says Ricky’s director of creative development, Lorne Lucree.
On a recent Friday morning, shoppers gasp and giggle as they sift through the costumes, including a flashy red flapper dress ($20), complete with headband, and a Yankee uniform ($20).
Rosanna Holt, a retired high school teacher who lives in the neighborhood, faces a fitting challenge with her two dogs. “I have a chubby Chihuahua and a skinny Italian greyhound,’’ she explains. “The mummy outfit would be hysterical for the Chihuahua, but the necks are always big on the greyhound and I need to get something warm because she tends to be cold.’’
Meanwhile, Alissa Rosenwach, 28, an interior designer who lives on the Upper West Side, echoes many parents’ sentiments as she shops for an Ewok disguise for her Bichon/poodle mix. Rosenwach plans to go as Princess Leia and her boyfriend will go as Luke Skywalker.
“It crossed my mind to make the costumes myself,” she says. “But I just don’t have the time.’’