Could you identify an Altuzarra from afar? The French-American designer, Joseph Altuzarra, has developed a thoughtful and romantic handwriting that can be seen in each of his designs. There is his penchant for prints, his fidelity to happy hues and his way of warping and twisting silhouettes around the waist to cast new shapes that flatter and sculpt the figure.
So, at a time when most exhibitors at New York Fashion Week fell under two camps — one rooted in everyday uniforms (Proenza Schouler, Gabriela Hearst) and the other hovering above ground, proffering clothes for another dimension (Thom Browne, Rodarte) — it’s no surprise Altuzarra played up the fantasy in his Fall 2023 collection.
The show opened with parkas, worn loose below the shoulders and dyed in vivid shades of salmon pink, mauve, cyan blue and rose red that bled into each other organically. Were they inspired by a painting, perhaps by Helen Frankenthaler? Or did they represent something vegetal? Could it be the spindly legs of a spider or a reproduction of an x-ray, enlarged and abstracted to produce an amorphous effect?
No, they were inspired by Rorschachs, developed with “real folded inkblots” as per the show notes. The clever motif recurred across several looks, reinvigorating mock neck dresses, floor-length skirts and peacoats, each rendered in a new blend of colors that upended conventional pairings but nonetheless worked in harmony. Then, the collection simplified: classical eveningwear gowns were contemporized in leather and juxtaposed with jersey dresses, draped and ruched on the body as if harking back to Grecian gowns. These highlighted Altuzarra’s softer side, preparing showgoers for the finale’s drama.
For that, he returned to his central proposition: parkas for evening, this time constructed in monochromatic satin and embellished with crystals. While they may fare poorly in the rain, that was beside the point — this was a showcase for the designer’s whirling imagination.
