Puppets and Puppets won't be pigeonholed. The cult-loved brand —whose delectable Cookie Bag is in the closet of every in-the-know fashion editor and influencer — is much more than a viral accessory, as demonstrated by its Spring/Summer 2024 collection.
While the Cookie Bag did made an appearance — saxophonist Jazz Ajilo performed with his signature dancing stuffed animals, outfitted in teeny-tiny versions of the purse — it was hardly the main event. The show was all about spookiness, both supernatural and earthly. Several looks drew from "spirit photography," which often employed tricky effects to create the illusion of ectoplasm, a white substance believed to indicate the presence of a spirit, leaking from a medium's orifices (typically the nose or mouth).
Designer Carly Mark referenced these unsettling images via gowns constructed from panels of silk that models held in their mouth, creating a bizarre new silhouette. Sack-like mini-dresses, carefully draped to create a slapdash effect, seemed to reference the charm of an old-school ghost costume made from nothing more than a bedsheet and a pair of scissors.
Mark was also inspired by the eeriness of a phenomenon very much grounded in reality: processing memory and emotion. "I feel like there are so many moments for women in New York City, tough days, when communication leaves you feeling haunted for a while," she said in a press release.
Indeed, there was something a uncanny about nearly every garment that made it down the runway. A sheer sheath dress was constructed with only one armhole, creating a lumpy silhouette where the model's arm was trapped; giant, bent spoons served as the handles of leather handbags. And then there were the bananas — Mark wrapped the fruit in leather straps, allowing models to carry them cross-body.
Clearly, Mark doesn't need cookies to keep us entertained.
