Not all Mannequins are Created Equal

At the Museum of Art and Design (MAD), there is a show up through October that celebrates a NY based mannequin designer, Ralph Pucci. If you see the show you will be intrigued by the variations and styles that evolved with the window prop over the last century. In his twenties, Pucci inherited his family's mannequin repair business. He capitalized on the emergence of the super model in our culture and Pucci collaborated with great innovators like Diane von Furstenberg and Kenny Scharf... He captured something of our changing attitudes to our bodies and abbreviated the stylish statement of our times. It is something I took for granted and hardly noticed. Like the best of art shows, this one will change the way you view window shopping from now on. As part of the generous philosophy of the MAD exhibitions, they have included his actual studio, where you can get an idea (especially with the videos) of how the mannequin prototypes are actually made. They are sculptural artworks.

Ralph Pucci designs have gone international with showrooms and furniture designs opening in Los Angeles and Miami. I have not made it to the new showroom in Miami's design district yet.