When I first received a text from my friend, young fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra, inviting me to his Fall 2009 presentation I was struck with a mixture of pride and curiosity. Throughout the summer, as we sipped tropical and potent cocktails, we discussed his upcoming collection and the arduous process it had been creating it. A few of his sketches shown between poolside drinks and I knew that my soft spoken friend had more talent then most upcoming and established designers in the New York circuit.
At the young age of 25, Joseph has already worked with some of the industry's most praised designers: a six month stint at Marc Jacobs and design assistant for Proenza Schouler are just some of the credits on his CV. Born and raised in France, Joseph moved to the US to pursue an art history degree at Swarthmore, and although it is hard to believe, he never thought he would end up working in the fashion world.
With only two collection under his belt, his first last Spring, Joseph has been named "the one to know" by the ladies at Vogue and his progress has been closely followed by some of fashion's most particular matriarchs. French Vogue's editor-in-chief, Carine Roitfeld, is practically a brand ambassador and after Monday's concept presentation I can understand why.
Joseph's creative process is evident in his collection, and his approach differs from that of most designers. Never a fan of elaborate themes or narratives, the young couturier chooses to focus on the functionality and pure beauty of his garments. As a result, the precision of his creations are almost scientific and his understanding of the female silhouette is astounding. His attention to simple detail and adventurous play on proportion and cut were elegantly showcased in his latest concept collection.
A color spectrum as edited as his clothes was the first detail that caught my attention. The presentation was boldly divided by color, opening with cream hued looks, followed by camel, pale lilacs and interestingly enough a series of silver metallic cocktail dresses.
A self-proclaimed "child of the nineties," Joseph's designs might resemble in their cut and precision the likes of Helmut Lang or Jil Sander, but his aesthetic is all his own. His choice of fabric resembles that of famous Parisian household names -- lots of jersey, fur and cashmere. His body conscious high-wasited pants are the wet dream of any fashion loving Voguette -- Lauren Santo Domingo and Meredith Melling Burke took notice as soon as the looks turned the corner. His pattern skills are complex, playing with the feminine curves in a tone-on-tone elaborate simplicity. His metallic creations were a true lesson in draping and showcased his sensible Parisian style.
All in all, Joseph's latest Fall 2009 collection really made clear the sheer amount of talent this young designer has to offer. However, I did think his creations lacked a bit of emotion --perhaps because of their meticulous and mathematical precision. More importantly it is impressive and highly inspiring that this timid boy-wonder has an unwavering sense of design identity that will surely continue to stimulate thought in years to come.
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