In some ways, this Altuzarra collection depended on too many Prada-isms filtered through Tory Burch, but I’m happy to see Joseph Altuzarra leaving behind the over-intellectual, good-taste comfort zone he’s been stuck in lately. READ MY FULL REVIEW HERE.
This season, Joseph Altuzarra went full Ralph Lauren. Plaid maxi skirts, shearling bombers, chunky knits, earthy tones – even heirloom antique jewelry from De Vera called to mind Ralph’s signature turquoises and vintage silvers. Altuzarra has been on the market for nearly two decades now, which already positions the brand as something of an American classic. It was intriguing, then, to see the designer send his uptown woman out for a horseback ride. And those flared skirts in the finale? I’m very much here for more of that bravado from Altuzarra – perhaps with fewer of the uncharismatic, foulard-like dresses he so stubbornly insists on revisiting each season.
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.
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. Don’t forget to follow Design & Culture by Ed on Instagram!
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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.
Design & Culture by Ed 