A crowd of dog-lovers and fashion connoisseurs watched as stylish canines strutted down the runway at the School of Fashion Design Oct. 8.

As a part of the 31st annual Boston Fashion Week and as a fundraiser for the Jo Somers Bay Village Scholarship, the school hosted “Off Leash Fashion,” a fashion show for dogs followed by an auction. High-quality designs for dogs were displayed at the event, which patrons could bid on during the silent auction.

The adoration for everything canine-related was reflected by the packed room of local dog owners who were accompanied by plus-ones — the furry companions themselves. Though an adorable idea on its own, the reason for dog models was credited to the namesake of the scholarship: Jo Somers.

“Jo Somers is a beloved friend of the School of Fashion Design and former board member and a long-time resident of Bay Village and just an icon in the local Boston fashion scene,” BU alum and SFD Executive Director Jennifer Leclerc said. “The scholarship is named for her, and she loved her dogs and her French poodles.”

Leclerc, who helped brainstorm this event, said the philanthropic benefits the scholarship provided the SFD were very important, as the SFD is the only institution in New England exclusively dedicated to fashion education.

“We’re a small, private, nonprofit school,” Leclerc said. “We don’t receive any state or federal funding, so every dollar of our student scholarship support is through individual and small business fundraising.”

Daniel Faucher, a senior instructor at SFD and Boston-based couture dressmaker for Daniel Faucher Couture, brought a few of his students to the fashion show during class-time.

One of his students, Phineas Rasmussen, attested to the devotion of SFD faculty and the close-knit community.

“They are the most giving set of individuals that I think I’ve ever been lucky enough to be tutored by,” he said of the SFD faculty. “They all give way more time than they’re expected to or paid to. They are here for the love of teaching and the love of their students.” 

“Off Leash Fashion” also partnered with many Boston-area small businesses, which offered products or services to a raffle that audience members could enter to win. 

“We were surprised and overwhelmed and super grateful for the amount of support that we received,” Leclerc said. “SFD is a community, and we rely on the support of our community, so we’re happy to pay it forward when we can. Those businesses really stepped up for us.” 

One participating business was St. Dog Pet Salon, a luxury pet spa and grooming center located in Newton. The founder, Camila Bertola, not only participated in the event as a business-owner, but also walked in the fashion show with her dog, Teddy Bear. 

“It was a great combination of fashion, luxury and dogs,” Bertola said of the fashion show. “We could not say ‘no.’” 

Leclerc said it was exciting to continue the scholarship with the Jo Somers Bay Village Scholarship and the added “twist” to the fashion show — “the doggy business.” She said bringing people together through the arts is crucial, and SFD looks to provide that. 

“Everywhere we’ve seen people turning to the arts for solace and comfort and inspiration through difficult times,” Leclerc said. “Making things with your hands, including fashion design and couture fashion design, fills that need.”