Quvenzhane Wallis Puppy Purses Bring Playfulness To Red Carpet [PHOTOS]

Quvenzhane Wallis has racked up awards and nominations for her starring performance in "Beasts of the Southern Wild," where she plays Hushpuppy, a young girl living in a Louisiana bayou community threatened by storms and rising seas. Offscreen, Wallis has taken to toting puppy-shaped purses from Poochie & Co. everywhere from the red carpet to the White House.

Wallis' signature "haute dog" couture strikes a charming note in a celebrity culture that tends to smother childhood innocence.

At the Oscars on Sunday, Wallis accessorized her navy Armani gown with a custom puppy purse made by Poochie & Co.:

The young star told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that she owns more than 20 of the canine clutches, which come in a range of various breeds, from poodles to bulldogs.

Earlier in February Wallis attended a White House workshop in honor of Black History Month. The young starlet brought a companion along in the form of a curly-haired cocker spaniel purse.

Unlike other Oscar fashions, Poochie & Co. purses are fairly affordable, retailing for about $10 each. These doggy bags are available at many stores nationwide, including Sears, Kmart and Burlington Coat Factory.

Poochie & Co. sales rep Diane Calvanico told Yahoo! Movies that the press attention was exciting for the company, which only recently set up a website.

After the company sent Wallis a box of doggie bags to complement her collection, "she called the office to thank us for sending her the package. She’s just so polite and sweet,” Calvanico told Yahoo! Movies. “She’s just packed with personality.”

If dogs aren't particularly your style, Poochie & Co. makes cat purses as well.

Wallis was just tapped to star in the Will Smith-produced version of "Annie" -- perhaps she'll sport a purse modeled on the little orphan's dog Sandy at that premiere?