Back in London Fashion Week, amidst the cram of off-schedule, off-off schedule shows that were going on, Korean duo Steve J and Yoni P eschewed a traditional catwalk show to present their S/S 10 collection that consisted of oversized dolls with gruesome expressions mixed with their own aesthetic of clothes that never allow concept to take over their purpose. The contrast between the fleshy and slightly macabre dolls and the charm of their outfits all contributed to a memorable presentation where a harpist accompanied doll-like live-models who were slumped in chairs or standing in a zombie-like state with video static projected onto the walls. We catch up with Steve J and Yoni P to revisit their orchestrated Puppet Theatre.

Dazed Digital: What was the idea behind the presentation?
Steve J & Yoni P: Inspired by ‘Puppet Theater’ which we found from our journey to Berlin, we wanted to create the artistic and unusual presentation through a synthesis of baleful puppets, photography, art installation, and runway.
 
DD: Did you make those dolls yourselves?  What were they supposed to represent?
Steve J & Yoni P: Yes, we made all dolls in our studio with our three interns last few months. We were so busy making the collection as well as making the dolls.
Basically, each doll is an individual person. Each doll has its own expression on her/his face and proportion. To express various emotions on their faces, we did hand sewing. We hope people noticed each emotions on them.

DD: At the core of the collection though, how did you incorporate the spirit of marionette theatres into the clothes?
Steve J & Yoni P: All the dolls and harpist's music helped to make the atmosphere like a spooky fairytale. We combined the macabre yet soft aesthetic of marionette theatres with the soft romantic and witty garments.
We also balanced volume and drapery with tailoring to achieve our signature modern quirkiness – each piece carries the spirit of the marionette theatres of Germany. With the assymtetric structures and printed sound-wave fabric portraying distress, the collection stays clean and focused. 

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