Jason Wu was clever in connecting the dots to secure a sponsor for his New York Fashion Week show this season.
Late Saturday afternoon, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Wu rolled out his namesake brand’s Spring 2026 collection with Purina Dog Chow as the show’s sponsor. As Wu tells it, the partnership came about organically: After receiving the opportunity to collaborate with the works of Robert Rauschenberg, as part of the artist’s centennial celebration, he dug into the archives of Rauschenberg’s collage-style artwork, known for featuring everyday products. He decided to focus on the artist’s 1975 “Groundings (Hoarfrost)” series and discovered that Purina’s checkerboard logo and Dog Chow packaging were portrayed.
“That’s when I was like, ‘Ding! Ding!’” Wu told Glossy. “I knew it could be an interesting collaboration, in a way that treats Purina as a classic American brand that has stood the test of time. That’s what pop culture is all about. I equate Purina and Rauschenberg to Campbell’s Soup and Andy Warhol.”
It’s not the first time Wu has partnered with an artist. For example, his spring 2025 collection was a collaboration with the Chinese artist Tong Yang-Tze. Wu said such opportunities have come up thanks to his acquaintances in the art world. And, because Rauschenberg is one of his favorite artists and no designer had leveraged the artist’s work before, Wu said he couldn’t pass up the chance to tackle another crossover.
“Like fashion, art is a commentary on what’s happening at the time it was created — they’re both time capsules in that way,” he said. “And I’ve always been interested in the connection between art and pop culture.” He said that passion grew early in his career when he worked as a toy designer creating dolls of celebrities, including RuPaul.
Wu guessed Purina would be surprised to hear from him. But as Rauschenberg’s centennial practically aligned with Purina Dog Chow’s own centennial — the brand launched in 2026 — Purina saw great alignment. The company has partnered with NYFW before, with its Purina One brand in 2013.
“Rauschenberg’s inclusion of the Purina checkerboard and Purina Dog Chow packaging in his work was a recognition of the brand’s role in society, and Jason’s reinterpretation in the spotlight of New York Fashion Week invites a new generation to see Dog Chow through a fresh lens — not just as a dog food brand that’s been around for 100 years, but also as a symbol of how deeply pets are woven into the American experience,” Susan Anderson-Bauer, Purina archivist, told Glossy in an email.
The Purina partnership centers on two looks within Wu’s Spring collection that subtly feature 1970s-era Purina Dog Chow packaging. Though undetectable, Purina’s checkerboard logo was also said to be part of the Rauschenberg art that was featured on oversized canvases, creating a unique walking path for the show’s models. “It’s insured for $1 billion,” Wu whispered to Glossy following the show, as guards directed attendees to keep their distance from the artworks.
“We were happy to work together to message Purina Dog Chow as a heritage brand, with a role in pop culture and in our daily lives, versus [orchestrating] a commercial,” Wu said, regarding the details of the partnership. “It was never going to look like we were advertising a product.”
Wu said Purina’s involvement adds to his brand’s seasonal story. “It’s got to be about more than just the clothes, especially when there’s a fashion show,” he said.
What’s more, he said, it has the opportunity to extend the show’s reach and bring art and fashion to more people. Throughout show day, Purina Dog Chow posted about the collaboration on its Instagram account (34,000 followers), in Stories that read “When Jason Wu asks for a collab, you say yes,” for example.
With brands getting more resourceful to pull off a NYFW show, other unexpected sponsorships have popped up this season, including Capri Sun’s of Christian Siriano — the partnership came to life in a fruit-embellished pouch purse shown on the designer’s runway. And last season, the emerging brand Melke teamed up with Hidden Valley Ranch.
Nestle Purina PetCare, parent company of Purina Dog Chow, generated $11.56 billion in sales during the first six months of 2025, down 2% year over year.
