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Completed October 2001

Okay. I am obsessed with this movie. Not a little. I mean, an unhealthy amount. I can recite the whole thing in German. I don’t even know German. Maybe I was a little naive when I first saw this movie, but I was shocked and ecstatic to see an abnormal-looking normal girl as a main character. If this movie was made in Hollywood, Lola would be running slow-motion in high heels and short shorts, with her DD’s bouncing. She would never break a sweat and the movie would be filled with glamourous tough-girl shots. I love having a heroine who’s a real girl. I think the fact that she looks like a punk Ariel from The Little Mermaid makes her extra awesome.

Inspiration
A good friend of mine recommended this movie to me because she said I reminded her of the main character. I watched it, became obsessed, dyed my hair red, and kept it red for 7 years.

Construction
I made this costume waaay before I knew the word “cosplay”. This was the very first pair of pants I ever sewed. It’s what I consider to be the first thing I sewed successfully that wasn’t altering pre-existing clothes. I tried really hard on them, messed up a lot, and consequently after ripping every seam at least twice decided not to sew anything for 3 years after. For never sewing pants before and having no one in my family or friends to teach me sewing or help me, I still consider their existance to be a miracle.

Photos
When I was a teenager making this costume, I never, never, ever dreamed I’d get to wear this in Berlin… running through the streets (to keep warm, it was winter!) in the spots the movie was filmed.  UBER thanks to Elsch and Kyle for making all my Lola dreams come true.

Photos by Kyle Johnsen, barb