Mark Ruffin

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Mark Ruffin has spent his lifetime turning pieces of fabric into works of art. The Daytime Emmy Award-winner has created memorable works for television, film and Broadway.

Raised in Philadelphia, Ruffin went on to earn a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Ruffin made his mark designing and building characters, costumes and props at The Jim Henson Company. In his first year at the Muppet Workshop, he build well-known characters such as Prairie Dawn and designed the costumes that defined Slimy Worm's family, work that earned Ruffin an Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design. A second and third Emmy nomination would follow for the 1994 and 1995 seasons of Sesame Street. His work for The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss on Nickelodeon earned him a fourth Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design and Styling in 1998.

As the millennium approached, Ruffin turned his attention to designing for the entertainment industries. As a designer, Ruffin created extravagant costumes for some of the greatest stars of our time, including Lil’ Kim, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott and Mary J. Blige. His designs from this period helped shape the image of music videos.

As a doll artist, among his notable achievements was the creation of the Princess Diana Birthday Commemorative Doll in 1998. The doll, created for the Alexander Doll Company of New York, was an immediate hit, selling 10,000 units in its first week of release and going on to become the number-one selling doll for the fall of 1998. His craftsmanship also caught the attention of Hollywood and book publishers: figures designed by Ruffin were featured in the M. Night Shaymalan feature film Unbreakable. In addition to his inclusion in the book Black Dolls: Proud, Bold and Beautiful, a collection of works by 50 international doll artists.

In 2000, Ruffin returned to Philadelphia, where he opened Mark Ruffin Studio to contribute to the growing art and film scene of the city. He immediately gained international recognition when Seagram Americas ABSOLUT Vodka selected him as its Designer of Choice in the City of Philadelphia for an international show of African fashion design. Ruffin’s commissioned work now resides in the ABSOLUT archive in Sweden.

In 2008, Ruffin established MRCO, LLC as a holding company to allow him to manage multiple businesses and artistic endeavors.

Credits

• Sesame Street, Puppet builder and designer
• The Muppets Make Puppets, Contributor
• The Muppets Big Book of Crafts, Contributor

External links

• King of plush