Tara Maria Gonzalez is a style writer with five years of experience covering celebrity looks, fashion week trends, and market. Since 2019, she's been writing for InStyle where you can find her musing about celebrities' pantsless date night looks for InStyle's signature Look of The Day series or obsessing over multiple things on sale. She has also previously worked as a fashion writer and editorial producer, writing fashion features and producing and styling numerous photoshoots while interviewing everyone from Stella Bugbee to Alexa Chung. Tara's interested in why we wear the things we wear and what that says about who we are. At any given time she is probably busy justifying an impulse vintage designer purchase as "part of her job" or overanalyzing the return of low-rise jeans.

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sew ceramic plates onto the back of your dress, or wear an oversized slab of gouda on your head? I hadn't either, until I went to the Puppets and Puppets show last September.

Puppets and Puppets is an IYKYK brand that gets even the most jaded fashion editor excited to line up for a runway show at the Ukrainian National Home in New York CIty after a week of 12-hour days. It's also one of the only shows where you'll see audience members smiling while intensely watching every piece instead of being glued to their phones — despite every look being deeply Instagrammable and viral-worthy.

At a Puppets and Puppets show, you can expect to see not just ceramic plates on dresses or gouda headpieces on models, but also metallic blue top-handle bags with egg crullers and totes made of tinsel. Two nights ago, everyone who hasn't had the pleasure of being a Puppets and Puppets show-goer got to experience the kooky beauty of the brand when Tessa Thompson wore the Big Bow Dress from its FW22 collection on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

It's actually been a big week for emerging New York designers; on the same night as Thompson's interview, Emma Chamberlain wore Saint Sintra while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, another buzzy New York brand that'll get a fashion editor's eyes to light up. Thompson was also spotted wearing Vaquera around the streets of New York earlier this week, which is exactly where the brand often hosts its fashion shows with models famously pounding pavement so quickly, you'd think they'd just stormed away from a heated argument.

While Thompson's Puppets and Puppets Big Bow Dress feels worthy of an entire editorial spread, her Vaquera Duct Tape Trousers feel far more subtle. You wouldn't really notice that they appear to be held together by duct tape unless you looked quite closely. She accessorized both looks with Loewe's Floral Acetate sunglasses that look like two petals worn on the bridge of her nose. Essentially, everything Thompson's worn this week is double take-worthy.

If you're looking to recreate her look, Loewe's sunglasses are widely available right now — and likely to be as big of a hit this season as its best-selling Ibiza sunglasses have been in the past. Nordstrom also recently restocked a handful of Puppets and Puppets pieces from the same collection as Thompson's dress, and almost every single one is on sale right now. I'd absolutely recommend buying a pair of the Mary Janes with wedges of swiss cheese for heels — it's not everyday you find fashionable cheese-inspired garb.

Thompson's looks are exactly the ones you hear fashion editors gushing over when they tell you NYFW isn't dead. And while I understand the urge to gatekeep your faves, there's something exciting about seeing them on a major celebrity who evidently loves fashion as much as we do.

Loewe Floral Acetate Sunglasses Shop now: $380; modaoperandi.com

Puppets and Puppets Swiss Mary Jane Wedge Shop now: $426 (Originally $710); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Bleach Out Rib Trompe l'Oeil Polo Shop now: $510 (Originally $850); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Blue Egg Cruller Leather Top Handle Bag Shop now: $285 (Originally $475); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Cozy Organic Cotton Blend Open Vest Shop now: $336 (Originally $560); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Mini Knit Tinsel Tote Shop now: $309 (Originally $515); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Logo Organic Cotton Blend Sweater Shop now: $351 (Originally $585); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Gold Ropey Open Crochet Knit Sweater Tank Shop now: $357 (Originally $595); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Fuzzy Platform Clog Shop now: $510 (Originally $850); nordstrom.com

Puppets and Puppets Witchy Hem Ribbed Cotton Skirt Shop now: $330 (Originally $550); nordstrom.com