For Fall, Joseph Altuzarra’s second show in Paris, he brought us to La Coupole, a famous brasserie in the 14th. It’s as evocative of his youth on the Left Bank as his new collection is designed to be of his grown-up life in New York City now. At a preview, Altuzarra explained that he established a simple rule for himself this season: “I wanted to make things that my friends and women I know want to wear.”
Altuzarra has always had his feet on the ground. How else do you land an investment deal with Kering when your brand is barely five years old? But with a new spot on the Paris schedule and Princess Mononoke (a fictional character) as a muse last season, the styling of the show got a little carried away.
Trajectory corrected, Altuzarra delivered an eminently practical wardrobe here. He started with pin-striped tailoring, made distinctive with double-layered cropped jackets accented with a row of horizontal buttons; shoulders were wide and the silhouette was quite waisted. Dresses, in contrast, were soft, unstructured, and bohemian in feeling, in both tiny floral motifs on silk and tie-dye patterns on velvet. Their easy-wearing sensibility extended into the evening numbers that closed the show. In the past, he’s often put red carpet showstoppers in the mix, but these smocked flower-print frocks embroidered with sequins and silver rings were designed for repeat use. Investing in them would be a no-brainer because it wouldn’t be a one-and-done equation.
In a season of great outerwear, Altuzarra had a few contenders. A pair of tie-dyed shearlings made big statements, and more understated peacoats and top coats came with heavy-gauge hand-knit collars, a thoughtful, inventive answer to real fur.
