Savvy Chic Paws puts a stylish spin on accessories for our four-legged friends

Cindy Nguyen grew up in her father’s tailor shop, where she learned to sew as a child. Years later, after her work making masks and gowns for health care workers began to wind down following the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself looking for what could come next.

Founded in 2021 by longtime work friends Nguyen, the company’s COO, and CEO Gerald Grimes, Savvy Chic Paws began with a conversation about future projects.

Nguyen remembers Grimes asking whether she would be interested in working with him on something new. But with a vacation to Germany already planned, Nguyen decided to take the trip and figure out her next move later.

When she returned to the United States, a friend asked her to sew a custom leash for her dog. Nguyen agreed, drawing on the skills she had developed over decades. After seeing the finished product, Grimes saw an opportunity.

“My boss was like, ‘Hey, let’s produce that.’ And he’s not a dog lover. He’s never had dogs,” Nguyen says.

That one leash eventually became Savvy Chic Paws, a company built around Nguyen’s tailor-inspired approach to pet accessories.

Bow ties start at $16, regular collars at $26 and leashes at $24. Bow tie collars start at $40, while slip-over collar bandanas begin at $28 and ties at $16. The products come in bright, distinctive patterns that have become part of the company’s recognizable style.

For Nguyen, the transition into the pet-accessory industry was somewhat unexpected. She jokes that her closest connection to dogs is her daughter’s dog, whom she affectionately calls her “granddog.”

But sewing was familiar territory.

She remembers putting on her first button when she was 8 and beginning to sew at 10. With seven siblings, Nguyen says there were no babysitters to watch them after school, so she and her siblings would spend time with their father and help with his work.

“I mean, where were child labor laws back then?” Nguyen jokes.

That early experience shaped the way Nguyen approaches Savvy Chic Paws today. She pays close attention to the details of each product, from the fabrics and hardware to the stitching and finishing.

The company sources materials from suppliers across the United States, while its products are manufactured in Dallas.

“I’m very meticulous,” Nguyen says. “I like high-quality products, so that’s what I produce.”

Savvy Chic Paws began building its customer base through appearances at the State Fair of Texas and Go Texan events, which showcase products grown, made or manufactured in Texas.

One of those appearances led to an unexpected opportunity with Brookshire’s.

Nguyen remembers a representative from the grocery chain stopping by the company’s booth at the State Fair.

“They loved our stuff, and they loved how I displayed everything,” she says. “That’s how I got into Brookshire’s.”

Savvy Chic Paws also works with companies that place larger orders for seasonal products, promotional items and gift baskets. As the company grows, Nguyen says the goal is not simply to put more products on store shelves. She wants Savvy Chic Paws to become known for larger-scale collaborations and custom orders.

“We don’t want to have somebody just come to the store or buy online,” Nguyen says.

Even the company’s name reflects the partnership behind it. “Savvy” comes from Grimes’ business-minded approach, while “chic” reflects Nguyen’s background in fashion and tailoring.

Together, those two perspectives have shaped a company that started with one custom leash and has grown into a Dallas-based pet-accessory business — one still grounded in the same attention to craftsmanship Nguyen learned in her father’s tailor shop.