Altuzarra acknowledges tension between past and present with impeccable craftsmanship at New York Fashion Week

This wasn’t a collection which skimped on creativity in order to broaden its commercial appeal
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Emma McCarthy13 February 2017

Citing Renaissance portraiture from Northern Europe and Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, New York designer Joseph Altuzarra’s brought the fifth day of New York Fashion Week to a close.

Determined to create a collection which empowered the woman wearing it, Altuzarra sought to repurpose the grandeur of banquet halls and sprawling manor houses into a wardrobe for the modern woman.

"It’s about the past versus the present and creating a tension between the two,” said the 33-year-old after the show. To this end, the result was an offering which was both timeless and forward thinking.

Outerwear served as the collection’s high point, with military jackets, ornate duffle coats and fur-trimmed capes promising to serve their owners well, whether she resides in the highlands of Scotland or on the streets of Manhattan.

Emily Ratajkowski, Alexa Chung, Christina Ricci and Rose Leslie 
Getty Images

Keen to ensure that all dressing needs were met, the designer also called upon a roll call of dresses designed to work from day to night, some crafted from metallic brocade, others sumptuous velvet or razor pleated silk. Tailoring was also executed with a rebellious power dresser in mind, with hourglass-waist riding jackets and trouser suits clad in bold humbug stripes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly from the French-raised Chinese American designer, influences were drawn from a global melting pot from Argyle tartans to decorative alice bands synonymous with Left Bank Parisians.

Despite the brand's newfound position as a contender for market share amongst US heavyweights such as Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren, this wasn’t a collection which skimped on creativity in order to broaden its commercial appeal.

Craftsmanship was the cornerstone of Altuzurra’s offering, from the strings of pearls which brought a sense of decadence to every garment they trimmed, to the careful consideration paid towards accessories which spanned luxury combat boots to leather opera gloves.

Sure not to neglect his growing reputation as the label of choice for red carpet renegades, the designer closed his showcase with a series of show-stopping jewel-encrusted gowns which looked set to delight high-profile fans including Cristina Ricci and Alexa Chung who watched from the front row.

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