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.

Tommy’s Corner: Beauty Sleep

Tommy, our makeup guru, is back in our Beauty corner! This season, he’s filling us in on how to manage beauty and beaut rest. Sweet dreams indeed.
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New York truly is the city that never sleeps, but who wants to live like that?  One week I am definitely am running empty is New York’s Fashion Week. It’s me and my kit in tow, running from one show to the next.  So at the end of the day, there’s nothing I love more than to indulge in every moment of beauty sleep.  I wake up rested and ready to do it all again.  Here’s how I do it and you can too.

1) A PRACTICE IN HUMIDITY: Hydrating is a lifestyle, and for me, a humidifier is no exception.  I fill it as soon as I’m home.  This way, my train of thought becomes setting up for a successful evening, sleep, and next day.  Coming home becomes a pattern of centering and bettering myself.

2) LAVENDER: On my pillows. On my sheets. In my humidifier.  I use organic lavender drops for aromatherapy everywhere and anywhere I can.  I’ll purchase pure lavender oil, even this aroma therapy spray, but more often than not I make my own home-and-linen sprays by mixing essential or fragrance oils with alcohol in a  spray bottle.

3) SILK PILLOWCASES: According to aesthetician/blogger Caroline Hirons, you have two  beauty lives, the one “before silk pillowcases, and the one after”. If ever there was an investment for your beauty sleep, it’s this.  I love waking up to my skincare on my skin and not in my pillowcase.  More skincare on your skin means it’s working where it needs to be.

4) BONE BROTH: If you don’t believe that bone broth is an ancient youth elixir for replenishing the collagen in your skin and joints, then you might want to know the glycine in bone broth can help to induce sleep.  It’s almost like a cup of warm milk, minus the inflammatory risks.  Bone broth makes for a guiltless nighttime treat, all year long.

5) SKINCARE OVERNIGHT MASKS: Sleep masks are shortcuts to bedtime for me when time is of the essence (pun intended).  I’ll incorporate a sleep mask three to four times a week: they’ll seal in any skincare below and improve their performance, attracting moisture like a water-loving comfort blanket

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Read his full article here!

My topic of discuss for a few months now has been my concern for long-time favorite J.Crew. It practically keeps me up at night, I simply can’t imagine retail without them.

Since the announcement of Jenna Lyons and Mickey Drexler stepping away from J.Crew, James Brett from West Elm has taken over as CEO. It seems it will take at least 2 years for J.Crew to climb out of the debt, the widely lauded Drexler, drove them into. He didn’t anticipate the dramatic rise of tech in the retail sector and that lack of ability to morph and change with the times, ultimately failed J.Crew. While the new CEO has officially started taking over the reigns, Drexler is still advising on matters.

While they have ebbed and flowed in my top ten through the last decade, they will have a special place in my heart. In high school – when you had to mail-in orders (shudder) – my sister and I finagled opening up a J.Crew credit card to call in and secure our orders. So it’s a personal mission to keep J.Crew doors open and in lieu of continuing to write them ideas about how to save their business, I am dedicating this newsletter to them in hopes that you shop to your hearts content. Click the image and shop the look, with a few extra below!

Him
/ 1 / 1040 Athletic Selvedge Raw Indigo Denim $168 / 2 / Oxford Shirt With Embroidered Rabbits $88 /3 / Bowery Slim Pant Glen Plaid Wool $98 / 4 / Navy Italian Silk Tie $70 / 5 / Italian Merino Wool Cardigan in Forest Green $108 / 6 / Keaton Plain Toe Boots $248 / 7 / American Pima Cotton Plaid Blue Shirt $65 / 8 / Sailboat Print Swim Short $50 / 9 / Wallace & Barnes Chore Blazer $150 / 10 / Ludlow Italian Stretch Wool Suit Jacket $425

Her
/ 1 / Orbit Earring $48 / 2 / Italian Silk Scarf in Paisley $70 / 3 / Colorful Floral Hoop Earrings $65 / 4 /Destination Italian Silk Scarf $35  / 5 / Double Strap Leopard Flats $258 / 6 / SeaVees for J.Crew Legend Velvet Sneakers $88 / 7 / Parke Blazer in Caramel $178 / 8 / Floral Silk Ruffle-Bib Top $78 / 9 /  Mens-y Cardigan With Tiger Patch $80 /10 / Collection Thomas Mason Sleeveless Top $118

I hope you had a wonderful summer! In New York it seemed to happen in fits and starts but you can tell from parents’ happy faces – fall is here. Seemed all too fast! But, hopefully the fall inspiration in this newsletter makes putting away your sandals and sundresses a little easier.

It’ll be a different start to the school year for families affected by Harvey & Irma. While money is the best way to donate, closet edits can be sent to Goodwill Houston at 12533 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077; and for Irma, Global Giving will work directly with the Caribbean Islands and Florida for immediate and on-going relief efforts. Our hearts go out to them!

With all else aside, Fall is already here, click the image above to shop my Fall “Get The Look”. If you love that red cashmere beauty in the top left corner as much as I do, you can purchase that Duffy Cashmere Sweater With Zipper Back for $375 through me. I’ve partnered with Duffy NYC for exclusive ordering!