“It has to be something you can wear during the summer, but it needs to look like fall on the floor,” said Joseph Altuzarra, summing up the challenges of pre-fall’s May-to-September shelf life. During a series of 15-minute presentations, Altuzarra talked through the studied ways he applied logistics to the collection’s killer aesthetics.
Derived from the traditional hunting uniforms of the British countryside, the lineup leaned autumnal in look but was deliberately lightweight in fabrication. Altuzarra gave an aristocratic English wardrobe a femme-fatale edge with his sharp, sensual tailoring. Loden-green cotton utility gear, such as a jumpsuit and calvary coats, was finessed and feminized through lean lines, shrunken silhouettes and delicate details. One style was fully lined in white Mongolian fur for a warm-weather take on Altuzarra’s signature parka. Houndstooth came alive in two amber-toned colorations woven into a lightweight wool blazer and pencil skirt with a sexy, curved slit. Nothing stuffy here.
Every hunting expedition has its prey: here leopard-printed goatskin — which is lighter, softer and has a better drape than calfskin, Altuzarra explained — cut into a mean sheath dress for women who enjoy the chase.