Fashion gone animal mad! Nicole Richie, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner on trend as they step out in Givenchy's Rottweiler tee

PUBLISHED: 12:00 EST, 22 November 2012 | UPDATED: 12:51 EST, 22 November 2012

From pugs to pandas, this year fashionistas couldn't get enough of clothes emblazoned with large prints of cute animal faces.

Givenchy's $350 Rottweiler tank top was one of 2012's must-have pieces, with stye-savvy shoppers such as Nicole Richie, Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian swiftly snapping one up before they sold out.

While Kenzo's $290 tiger print sweater was also a roaring success, selling out in two days, and Style Caster writes: 'During the Spring 2013 collections in New York, it seemed like every It-blogger, fashion editor, and model was wearing one.'

Style-savvy: Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Nicole Richie step out in Givenchy's $350 Rottweiler tank top

Target also jumped on the trend. The store retails a Jason Wu for Target T-shirt featuring a black cat, along with shirts printed with animal illustrations.

A spokesman for the company told CNN: 'We have seen animal print as a growing trend and continue to incorporate it into our apparel and accessories.'

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But it's not just women getting in on the trend and last year Kayne West donned a Riccardo Tisci-designed Givenchy Rottweiler top to an event. The same tee was also worn by Rihanna and Liv Tyler.

'People wear these cheesy animal sweaters in an ironic way... There is something cool about the cheekiness'

Commenting on the craze, Susan Cernek, Glamour magazine's fashion development director said: 'Pets are a language of international happiness. You can hop on YouTube and see a cute puppy video and have comments come from all over the world. There is a universal appeal.'

She added: 'We were seeing people wearing these cheesy animal sweaters in an ironic way. There is something cool about the cheekiness.'

Model Karlie Kloss on the runway at Kenzo's fall 2012 show.

A model on the runway at Kenzo's fall 2012 show

Top seller: Kenzo's $290 tiger sweater sold out in two days and its designers are still inundated with requests

One designer hopes the trend will steer people away from buying garments made of animal hides. Eva Kischel, who runs the Etsy shop The Petite Chouette, said: 'I think wearing animal-themed clothes also demonstrates that you are against fur or other animal skin in fashion, which is a good thing.

'I personally like this trend because it simply makes me happy to 'wear' my favorite animals without hurting them.'

Since the Kenzo sweater sold out, designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have been inundated with requests.

Leon told Style Caster: 'To this day, I have friends e-mailing me and saying, ‘I can’t get it! What’s happening?!'' I don’t know how it became a thing.'

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You can buy ones just like this (and a lot better) on themountain.com

- Diddlydee , Liverpool, United Kingdom, 23/11/2012 14:00

Click to rate Rating 2

That ugly shirt is worth 350 dollar?!

- Solange , Amsterdam, Netherlands, 23/11/2012 13:09

Click to rate Rating 11

You can get a FAR cheaper longer-sleeved version on Romwe. I actually thought that was the one they were wearing

- mel2012 , London, United Kingdom, 23/11/2012 11:00

Click to rate Rating 5

For something that costs so much it sure looks cheap... - Lannie88 , Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 22/11/2012 21:36 I Couldn't agree more, I bet there'll be similar Tee's on the rails at Primark for £5..And then I still wouldn't buy it! It's Hangin'

- Kate , Here-n-There, 23/11/2012 10:06

Click to rate Rating 5

I WANT ONE! I LOVE THESE

- JOYOA , Surrey, 23/11/2012 10:03

Click to rate Rating 4

On trend? Unless you're a teenage kid, that's a stupid shirt. "On trend" apparently = "fashion victim that will wear anything so long as everyone else is doing it"

- MWeather , Riverside, 23/11/2012 09:14

Click to rate Rating 14

I have two rottweilers and they have never looked this way. Im sick to death of society portraying them as nasty dogs! All dogs are a representation of their owners. My two have never looked rabid the way the dog on this t-shirt does! All the bad press about dogs lately has been fronted by a picture of a vicious rottweiler when in actual fact NONE of the stories are about them!! Please stop with the bad images of rottweilers they are a lovely breed, fun, good natured and soppy!!

- Britpsu1 , London, United Kingdom, 23/11/2012 08:35

Click to rate Rating 9

They're only wearing it because Kanye West and Jay-Z brought it to light during their "Watch the Throne" tour.

- Blythe , New York City, United States, 23/11/2012 04:23

Click to rate Rating 13

Kylie is the worst!

- Givén , London, United Kingdom, 23/11/2012 01:30

Click to rate Rating 16

Oh lord, the familiar pose-in-front-of-a-mirror-and photograph-yourself-with-your-cellphone. Please, all you 'fashionista's' and Jenners (and Kardashians) leave this planet!

- Miss JoJo Coffeebean , Latte-town, Netherlands, 22/11/2012 22:55

Click to rate Rating 32

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