Behind the Build: How We Created Hugo’s Paws in Just Two Weeks
When Luana Codreanu reached out to us about launching an online store for her dog accessories brand, Hugo’s Paws, we knew from the first call that this wasn’t going to be “just another pet shop.”
Luana is a model, winner of Answear Supermodel, and the founder of Last Minute Couture. She has a strong personal style and a very clear vision for her brand – sophisticated, fashion–forward, and unapologetically luxurious. She also had a firm deadline.
From idea to live Shopify store, we built hugospaws.com in just two weeks. Here’s how the process looked behind the scenes.
1. Meeting Luana & Understanding the Brand
The first step was a conversation – about Hugo (her dog), about fashion, and about what “luxury for dogs” should feel like online.
From day one, Luana knew exactly what she wanted:
A luxury mood that feels more like a high–end fashion house than a classic pet store
A clean, modern layout where the photography does the talking
A smooth, intuitive shopping experience on both desktop and mobile
Because she was so receptive and decisive, we could move fast: agree on a direction, make decisions quickly, and keep momentum all the way through launch.
2. Gathering Requirements & Assets
Once the vision was clear, we moved into a short but focused discovery phase.
Luana provided:
The brand mood and reference inspirations (think quiet luxury, Italian craftsmanship, editorial fashion)
The brand assets – logo, color preferences, and typography direction
A full photoshoot: shots of Luana and Hugo with the products, lifestyle images, and close-ups of leather details
Our goal here was to connect the dots between the emotional side of the brand (love, connection, elegance) and the practical side (clear product information, sizing, checkout).
Everything we did later in design and development came back to:
“Does this reflect the bond between Luana and Hugo, and does it feel truly premium?”
3. Choosing the Right Shopify Theme
With the requirements and assets in place, the next big decision was the Shopify theme.
We recommended a theme that:
Highlights large hero imagery and editorial layouts
Has a minimal, clean structure that lets typography and photography stand out
Offers flexible product layouts and sections for storytelling
Is fast and responsive out of the box, so we could invest more time in customization rather than reinventing the wheel
Luana agreed with the proposed theme immediately – which helped us avoid endless back-and-forth and move directly into implementation.
We treated the theme as a framework, not a cage: a solid base that we could refine and extend to match the brand’s identity.
4. Content First: Building the “Our Story” Page
Instead of starting from the homepage (which is often just a summary of everything else), we began where the soul of the brand lives: the “Our story” page.
This page had a few key goals:
Tell the story of Luana and Hugo’s bond
Communicate the dream behind Hugo’s Paws – bringing fashion-level craftsmanship into dog accessories
Highlight the materials and quality: fine leathers, high-end hardware, and European craftsmanship
From a technical and UX perspective, we:
Structured the content in short, scrollable sections with clear headings
Used full-width imagery to mirror the feel of a fashion editorial
Made sure the text remained legible and breathable, even on smaller screens
Kept a consistent rhythm: story → image → details → story, so the page feels like a narrative, not just blocks of text
By finishing this page early, we set the tone for the entire store. Every design decision afterwards had to align with this story.
5. Crafting the Product Experience
With the narrative in place, we moved onto the product pages, which are the core of any store.
Hugo’s Paws sells a curated selection of luxury accessories – collars, leashes, harnesses, crossbody leashes, poop bag holders and more – in carefully chosen colors like Rouge, Taupe, Ivoire, Noir.
On the product pages, we focused on:
Clean product galleries that show both lifestyle and detail shots
Clear variant handling (colors, sizes) so users can understand options at a glance
Space for product storytelling – materials, craftsmanship, and what makes each piece special
Logical section order: imagery → key details → options → description → supporting info
We also worked with custom fields/metafields where needed, to make it easy for Luana to manage structured information (like materials or care details) directly from Shopify’s admin without touching the code.
The result is a product page that feels simple for the user, but flexible for the store owner.
6. Designing the Homepage as a Luxury Showcase
Once the story and products were solid, we turned to the homepage – the digital storefront.
On hugospaws.com, the homepage does a few things at once:
Greets visitors with a hero section that sets the tone:
“sophisticated luxury for your dog” and “Made from passion”Highlights key product ranges, like:
Our Signature Collection
Rouge Collection / Sparkle Season
Introduces the brand’s philosophy – accessories as symbols of connection, crafted with European leathers and high-end hardware
Provides trust signals: free shipping over a certain threshold, secure payment, and easy contact information
From a UX standpoint, we kept the homepage lean:
Sectioned layout with clear CTAs (“Discover all”, “Shop now”)
Strong visual hierarchy – hero, featured products, story, reassurance blocks
A newsletter section for capturing early brand fans
The homepage feels like a mix between a magazine cover and a boutique window display.
7. Supporting Pages & Details That Matter
To make the store truly usable (not just beautiful), we implemented several supporting pages and details:
A Size guide page with clear instructions and tables for collars and harnesses, in both cm and inches, so international customers can order confidently
A simple, focused navigation: Shop, Our Story, Size Chart, Contact – no clutter, just essentials
Consistent footers with policies (returns, privacy, terms) and reassurance about shipping and support
All of these are small pieces, but together they shape how trustworthy and polished the experience feels.
8. Launching & Looking Back
From first meeting to launch, we delivered Hugo’s Paws in about two weeks. That speed was only possible because:
Luana came with a clear vision and fast feedback
The brand had strong assets and photography from day one
We leveraged Shopify’s strengths and a well-chosen theme, then customized where it mattered most
Hugo’s Paws now feels like what it was meant to be:
a luxury fashion brand for dogs, not just another online pet store.
If you’d like a similar process for your own brand – clear steps, fast execution, and a store that actually reflects who you are – Hugo’s Paws is a good example of how we like to work: collaborative, focused, and story-driven.