Wolfgang Joop s space-age set—a pair of giant, pulsing half-spheres around which the models walked—was straight out of 2046, the Kar Wai Wong sci-fi film. The clothes themselves were more Lolita. Well, not exactly, but this was Joop s youngest-feeling Wunderkind collection yet, full of neon-bright prints, fabric collages, and mini lengths, all accessorized with ankle boots and opaque tights, or the occasional pair of insane fluorescent-beaded leggings.
His tweedy bouclé three-piece suits (that s jacket, cropped pants, and mini) came with the exaggerated shoulders that always indicate a designer has the future on his mind. The shoulders carried over into shifts patchworked from quilted yokes, plaid underlayers, and printed chiffons. The lineup s star attractions were a knitted fur coat playfully embellished with tufts of neon Tibetan lamb and a couple of graffiti dresses, one ruched and tiered and to the knee, and the other a loose tent that was longer in back than in front. What his futuristic Lolitas have to do with last season s luxe bohos is anybody s guess, but it looked like Joop had fun dreaming up his pastiche, and as offbeat as it was, it did include plenty of cute pieces.
