"I didn't want the collection to be cold or distant," said Joseph Altuzarra of his 15-plus-piece debut presentation. No chance of that. His are the kind of of-the-moment, body-conscious clothes made for raising, ahem, emotions in hot-blooded males. With the forties and eighties as reference points, Altuzarra turned out ruched dresses in white stretch matte jersey with slightly padded shoulders; camel-colored pantsuits with fitted jackets and razor-slim pants; and one-shoulder silver-blue silk lamé and stretch georgette cocktail dresses worn with above-the-knee black suede boots. But the Givenchy and Proenza Schouler alum isn't a one-note boy wonder. Lose the superfluous fur fringe on the sharp cashmere-wool cream coat that opened the show or the jacket that followed, and the collection would be less about landing a man than landing that big job. It can't be easy launching a business at a time like this, but Altuzarra's polished technique means he's an up-and-comer to take seriously.
