Puppets and Puppets is a New York based fashion label found in 2018 by Carly Mark and Ayla Argentina, but is now run solely by Mark.[1][2] In 2023, Mark was nominated for the Fashion Trust US St. John Knits award for ready-to-wear.[3] In 2024, Mark announced her plans to relocate to London, downsize her team, and exit ready-to-wear focusing solely on accessories.[4]
 | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Carly Mark and Ayla Argentina |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Apparel, accessories, |
| Website | www |
Work
editPuppets and Puppets began as a shared creative endeavor between Carly Mark and Ayla Argentina. Argentina did much of the sewing while Mark was the creative director and publicist.[5] For British Vogue Mark explained that the creative division of labor as, “My main focus is the show itself and I oversee the art direction and decide the theme of the collection. It’s 50/50 creative input, but Ayla has garment construction ideas and fashion history knowledge that I wouldn’t think of.”[6] By 2023 it was noted in the Washington Post and Business of Fashion that Argentina had left the label.[2][7]
Name
editPuppets and Puppets' name derives from Mark's dog, a chihuahua mix named "Puppet." Both humorous and purposeful, Mark ironizes the weight of the word "puppet" in the fashion industry with the way models are treated and how trend followers act.[5][8][9][10]
Collections
editPuppets and Puppets fluctuates between streetwear[5] and "theatrical and humorous creations"[6] The label has been noted for its dramatic silhouettes,[11] Grunge aesthetics,[12] use of recycled and reclaimed items,[13] food themed details,[14] and absurdist one-of-a-kind pieces.[15] For instance, one notable accessory is the Cookie Leather Top Handle Bag. The bag is a simple leather bag with a hyperrealistic chocolate chip cookie adorned on its center.[16]
The fashion critic Rachel Tashjian has noted the brand's ability to encapsulate the chic yet comfortable sophisticated women living in New York: "I saw a staffer at the Puppets and Puppets show who was dressed exactly as I see a lot of cool, sophisticated women dressing now. She looked thirty-something, and had on a very preppy slightly undersized Puppets crewneck sweater with a pair of satin leopard-print boardshorts trimmed with black lace, and very tasteful, Princess Diana-worthy almond-toe ballet flats. Very pulled together in this offbeat way, and a bit boyish."[17]
Harelquin
editPuppets and Puppets first collection was an anti-fast fashion showing of "wearable art pieces [which] mix a ’90s DIY aesthetic with over-the-top harlequinesque costume."[13] The collection featured approximately 35% salvaged materials, either from eBay, the Salvation Army, or from Marks previous sculpture and video work.[13][18]
American Psycho Meets the Romanoffs
editInspired by Fabergé Eggs, the Romanoffs, and American Psycho, Puppets and puppets presented their collection at Prince George Ballroom. Vogue commented on the recurring image of eggs throughout the collection by saying it, "...was like stepping into a Salvador Dalí painting filled with shoes fashioned from egg cartons and little bralette nipple coverings made to look like sunny side-up yolks."[19] The shoes fashioned out of egg crates evoked the saying "walking on eggshells."[15]
Moebius
editPuppets and Puppets' fall 2020 collection was based on the sci-fi drawing of Jean Giraud, also known as Moebius, specifically his storyboards of the failed adaptation of Dune.[6] Embellished with cookies and popcorn,[14] the clothing was less commercial than their last two collections,[20] but was more focused on story, with each model picking their character and Puppets and Puppets specifically designing a costume for them.[21] Although none of the looks from these early collections were put into production, the trompe l'oeil chocolate chip cookie handbag from this season was a commercial success for the line.[22] It has become a signature item for Puppets and Puppets. New colorways and limited-edition variations are released regularly.
References
edit- ^ Silver, Jocelyn. 'American Psycho' Meets the Romanovs at Puppets and Puppets . Paper Magazine. September 11, 2019.
- ^ a b Judkis, Maura (2023-09-16). "Puppets and Puppets is Pulling our Strings". Washington Post.
- ^ "John Galliano for Christian Dior Ready-to-Wear, Spring/Summer 1999", Fashion Photography Archive, Bloomsbury, 2015, retrieved 2023-02-11
- ^ Testa, Jessica (2024-02-08). "A Rising Star in Fashion Who Sees No Future in New York". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ a b c Silver, Jocelyn. The Story Behind the Coolest Debut at New York Fashion Week. Paper Magazine. March 11, 2019
- ^ a b c Freeman, Liam. 5 Fresh Names To Know From New York Fashion Week. British Vogue. February 12, 2020
- ^ Kennedy, Joan (2023-05-16). "Puppets and Puppets Look Beyond the Cookie Bag". Business of Fashion. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
- ^ "Inside the surrealist hygge world of Puppets and Puppets". Document Journal. 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ "Puppets and Puppets Serves Up Joyfully Demented Fashion". Interview Magazine. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
- ^ FWO (2022-09-12). "Puppets And Puppets SS23 Runway Show". Fashion Week Online®. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ Sharma, Meara. The New Shape of Fashion. New York Times Style Magazine. Published February 20, 2020. Updated February 22, 2020.
- ^ Sidell, Misty White. Puppets and Puppets, the Latest Label in New American Grunge Movement. Women's Wear Daily. February 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c Silveria, Paige.Puppets and Puppets: fantastical costumes for a downtown fashion crowd. Document Journal. February 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Silver, Jocelyn. Puppets and Puppets Is Serious, But Not Too Serious . Paper Magazine. February 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Bateman, Kristen.Puppets and Puppets is lighting up NYFW with its absurdist collections. Dazed. September 10, 2019.
- ^ "31 Fashion Gifts on BAZAAR Editors' Wish Lists". Harper's BAZAAR. 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ "The Revenge of the Cocktail Dress". Harper's BAZAAR. 2022-09-14. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ Tilley, John Martin. American Psychos. Office Magazine. October 5, 2019.
- ^ Bobb, Brooke. Spring 2020 Ready-to-Wear: Puppets and Puppets. Vogue. September 9, 2019.
- ^ Bobb, Brooke.Fall 2020 Ready-to-Wear: Puppets and Puppets. Vogue.February 11, 2020.
- ^ DeMarco, Nicole. Inside the sci-fi fantasy world of Puppets and Puppets. i-D. February 18, 2020.
- ^ Kennedy, Joan (May 16, 2023). "Puppets and Puppets Looks Beyond the Cookie Bag". Business of Fashion. Retrieved November 2, 2023.