Puppets and Puppets is a shared creative endeavor between Carly Mark and Ayla Argentina. Argentina does much of the sewing while Mark is the creative director and publicist. In British Vogue Mark explains 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.”
Name
Puppets and Puppets' name derives from Mark's dog, a chihuahua mix named "Puppet". Mark also notes the weight of the word "puppet" in the fashion industry with the way models are treated and how trend followers act.
Collections
Puppets and Puppets, as a brand, encapsulates many styles, fluctuating between streetwear and "theatrical and humourous creations" The label has been noted for its dramatic silhouettes, Grunge aesthetics, use of recycled and reclaimed items, food themed details, and absurdist one-of-a-kind pieces.
Harelquin
Puppets and Puppets first collection was an anti-fast fashion showing of "wearable art pieces mix a ’90s DIY aesthetic with over-the-top harlequinesque costume." The collection featured approximately 35% salvaged materials, either from eBay, the Salvation Army, or from Marks previous sculpture and video work.
Inspired 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." The shoes fashioned out of egg crates evoked the saying "walking on eggshells."
Moebius
Puppets 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. Embellished with cookies and popcorn, the clothing was less commercial than their last two collections, but was more focused on story, with each model picking their character and Puppets and Puppets specifically designing a costume for them.
