Joseph Altuzarra, the “thinking woman’s designer,” has been compared to fashion luminary Tom Ford and his story is a fashion fairytale. Born in Paris to a Chinese-American mother and French father, this multiculturalism juxtaposed American ease with French sensibility. Surrounded by film and dance, an appreciation for the arts was natural; Joseph studied ballet for 8 years as a child and wrote an essay linking YSL’s Opium perfume advertisement to Toulouse-Lautrec.
A love of fashion was spurred by Art History at Swarthmore and with no formal training took an internship in NYC at Marc Jacobs before a post at the burgeoning Proenza Schouler. Joseph then proceeded to apprentice Nicolas Caito at Rochas, where he learned pattern-making and draping. Caito encouraged Joseph to go back to Paris, where he met Riccardo Tisci, creative director of Givenchy and became his assistant for two years. At just 4 years out of college, armed with impressive experience, encouraging mentors, and clear vision he launched ALTUZARRA during the recession of 2008 – a bold and precarious year to start a luxury business. He won his first accolade in 2010 and they haven’t stopped since, winning CFDA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2014, and most recently the Accessories Council’s Designer of the Year in 2017. He has designed costumes for the NYC Ballet and collaborated with J.Crew and Target. His story might seem unbelievable until you meet Joseph. Utterly kind, thoughtful, and passionate he is a grounded person in fast moving industry and this is evident in his work.
Known equally for feminine tailoring and exquisite embellishment, high slit skirts, vibrant use of color, flowy dresses, and fitted jackets are his signatures. However, his most compelling looks are usually the simplest. The fabric, cut, and details lend to their utter elegance and eventual endurance. Altuzarra is a collection for women who are creating and defining their own leading role for their life – they are not bystanders. They are the ones confidently taking the reigns of their destiny. At only 10 years in and growing we are fortunate this fairytale has only just begun.
