Last season, Markus Lupfer began moving away from the slogan sweaters that have lately defined his career. With Pre-Fall, that trajectory continues. He included just one novelty knit. "Leave me alone," it declared, a statement that neatly summed up the moodier girl he's designing for now. She's "the older, meaner sister of my girl from previous collections," he said. Where last season's cat motifs were cute and cuddly, here they were rather more confrontational. A graffiti print added to the toughened-up look.
Merino wool was once Lupfer's other calling card, but he's expanding his repertoire in terms of fabric. Of particular note was a brocade tweed with an iridescent sheen, a high-tech cotton jacquard in an oversized floral print, and a glossy velvet accented with diagonal gold zips, which we're betting will be a customer favorite. Silhouette-wise, things were short and sexy; there were frilly-hem mini and skater dresses in profusion. Next up, Lupfer will be designing eyewear with Linda Farrow.
