NY, NY (The Hollywood Times) 10/2/26 – Fashion and philanthropy made a memorable pairing once again as ELYSIAN IMPACT’s 4th Annual Catwalk Furbaby returned to New York Fashion Week, proving that a runway can showcase much more than beautiful clothes.
Created by ELYSIAN IMPACT founder, publisher, filmmaker and philanthropist Karen Floyd, Catwalk Furbaby brought together 10 rescue organizations, 10 designers and 20 runway looks, pairing fashion with a mission to support animals and charitable causes.
Adding a special connection for The Hollywood Times & Aspiring Magazine’s, our own reporter Charles served as moderator, helping guide the event and its conversation surrounding fashion, philanthropy and the importance of animal rescue. It was wonderful to see a member of our own team participating in an event that uses entertainment and visibility to make a tangible difference.
Catwalk Furbaby has developed an identity all its own within Fashion Week. The rescue animals are not simply accessories accompanying models down the runway; they represent the reason everyone has gathered. Behind every designer look is an opportunity to draw attention to organizations working every day to save, protect and find homes for animals in need.
The 2026 competition raised the stakes with $25,000 awards in the People’s Choice, Judges’ and Publisher’s categories, creating an additional opportunity for participating organizations and designers to bring attention, and meaningful financial support, to their causes.
There is also something particularly engaging about seeing high fashion share the spotlight with rescue dogs. The combination softens the traditional formality of a runway while reminding audiences that compassion never goes out of style.
Since its creation, ELYSIAN Impact’s Catwalk Furbaby initiative has helped raise and distribute more than $475,000, supporting causes involving women, children, animals, service and the environment. Funds from the 2026 initiative benefit the ELYSIAN Impact Fund, a component fund of the Spartanburg County Foundation.
Karen Floyd and the ELYSIAN team have created an event that is playful and glamorous on the surface while remaining firmly rooted in philanthropy.
At a Fashion Week filled with designers competing for attention, Catwalk Furbaby offers something refreshingly different: beautiful fashion, irresistible four-legged personalities and an underlying reminder that visibility is at its most powerful when it is used to help others.
And for The Hollywood Times, seeing our own Charles helping lead that conversation made this year’s Catwalk Furbaby even more special.
By Valerie Milano, The Hollywood Times
