Socialite. Altuzarra SS26

September 14, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Altuzarra’s (very autumnal) spring–summer 2026 collection centered on charming details, executed in a surreal, trompe-l’œil manner. A stole appeared as an illustration of bird wings encircling the neckline; a blazer’s pockets were appliquéd with black and red feathers, accentuating the waist and hips; dresses were not printed but patched with florals. Yet nothing about these wardrobe enhancements felt overly on the nose. The line-up is one that New York’s Swans – socialites like C.Z. Guest or Lee Radziwill – would surely embrace for its deft balance of day-to-evening sophistication. Balloon pants, Joseph Altuzarra’s recurring obsession, returned better than ever. For several seasons now, the designer has been channeling an elegance that feels both authentic and substantial.

ED’s SELECTION:

Altuzarra Dash Pleated Cotton-twill Barrel-leg Pants

Altuzarra Maury Shearling Jacket

Altuzarra Lennon Strapless Ribbed-knit Bustier Top

Altuzarra Drina Stretch-velvet Midi Dress

Altuzarra Origami Mini Fringed Suede Shoulder Bag

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Women Of Flesh & Bone. Altuzarra AW25

February 9, 2025 | Design & Culture by Ed

Joseph Altuzarra is in his most delicious creative era… ever. Forget collections inspired with sunny, far-fetched destinations or film titles – thematic line-ups that (over)defined Altuzarra for over a decade. The New York-based designer now finds interest in personalities. Real ones. His latest outing, presented in his chic Woolworth Building headquarters, was dedicated to women of the Big Apple. The Lee Radziwills and Sarah Jessica Parkers, the Edie Sedgwicks and Ladies of Madison Avenue. Women of flesh-and-bone, who equally love a proper evening dress with a fringed big hat and a shaggy shearling coat worn as a dress, styled with heels and tights only. But if I had to compare this collection to a fictional persona, I would pick Nicole Kidman’s phenomenal portrayal of Babygirl‘s Romy – a New York businesswoman on a quest of self-discovery.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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New York Chic. Altuzarra AW24

February 12, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

Altuzarra celebrates 15 years of business, quite a milestone for even the most thriving fashion brands in New York. Personally, I think this last year was a sensational moment in Joseph Altuzarra‘s career: collection after collection, he delivered line-ups that aren’t only chic, but very, very New York. His autumn-winter 2024 offering ranks very high in the shapeless blur of other collections we’ve seen this week. The designer brought together a group of about 100 guests at his Woolworth Building for a salon-style presentation. His daughter sat on his mother’s lap, and there were no celebrities or influencers in the room – rather editors, journalists and buyers. This already felt like a new direction. “I worked on this collection in a different way,” Altuzarra said at a preview. “It wasn’t as much about stories and much more about pieces that I felt interested in developing.” Like a sweeping mac with a storm flap back lifted directly from his own life. Altuzarra has started showjumping competitively out on Long Island, where he and his husband have a home; later on in the collection, a pair of silk twill sundresses featured abstract prints that looked equestrian in nature. Amidst the pictures of horse girls on the moodboard were Tamara de Lempicka paintings that may have inspired a crystal and lace flapper-ish slip dress. Illustrations of clowns in Pierrot ruffs definitely influenced the frilled collars and cuffs on knits and blouses, which were often topped by more masculine pieces, like a peacoat, or a neatly tailored blazer. This collection takes Altuzarra to a new territory, one he definitely should keep on exploring in the next seasons.

How about a couple of Altuzarra essentials?

ED’s SELECTION:

Sif Pleated Polka-dot Crepe De Chine Maxi Skirt

Booth Cable-knit Turtleneck Sweater

Karina Gathered Satin Midi Skirt

Kitriani Dyed Peplum Jacket with Smocked Waist

Fannie Midi Skirt with Ruffle Trim

Adams Tailored Wool Coat

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Twisted Lady. Altuzarra SS24

September 13, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

Second season in a row, Joseph Altuzarra delivers one of the best collections of New York Fashion Week. His winter offering was a refined look-back at his signature, urban elegance; for spring-summer 2024, the designer nods to Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby and Miuccia Prada’s style, an aesthetically-ecstatic combination of references. The film’s haunting undercurrents felt close to the surface of Altuzarra season, with tulle veils and matching 1960s babydoll dresses and the she’s-come-undone details, like the crushed textures of everything from slipdresses to A-line coats, gauzy organza slips peeking out from underneath the hems of pencil skirts, and the DIY-ish embroideries on other skirts and dresses. Miuccia’s spirit could be perceived all over the bourgeois lady-likeness, which is never obvious; there’s always a sexual tension behind it. To tempt the clients who want to play around with uptown sexiness, Altuzarra had satin coats in red, butter yellow, and ivory that were A-line and somewhat oversized, “almost as if you took a doll coat from the ’60s and blew it up a little bit,” and a strapless polka dot trapeze dress straight out of 1950s couture. There was also a pair of gowns, one black with thin straps, and the other a white tank style, that looked neither twisted, nor bourgeois; they were simply striking.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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Lady Autumn. Altuzarra AW23

February 15, 2023 | Design & Culture by Ed

Like Tory Burch, Joseph Altuzarra is having a great, creative streak for the last couple of seasons. His latest Altuzarra collection – especially its intro and outro – captures the feeling one loves about autumn. The warm colours of leaves in the park. Experimenting with layers of knits and outerwear. The first couple of looks, absolutely chic and beautiful, were about combining an evening coat (or soiree jacket) with a floor-sweeping, silk column skirt. All that covered in Altuzarra’s signature tie-dye. Somehow, the designer managed elevate the print from boho to lady-like. Then, we’ve got the knitwear, which was a gracious walk down the memory lane of Donna Karan’s dance-inspired, late 1990s style filled with flowing silhouettes and body-soothing forms. The over-sized beanies – a nod to this Yohji Yamamoto collection maybe – were a cool addition. There were some low points in this offering, like a set of serious-looking, dull evening dresses that gave nothing, but then Altuzarra served the dessert. Parka coats and bomber jackets in yellow and blue satin, fur-trimmed and embellished, styled again with maxi skirts. If you look back at the designers early collections, you remind yourself this was the look that made the brand so desirable in the first place. Good for Altuzarra to revisit that trick.