Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/86796
"I THINK 'YOUNG' IS MORE ABOUT WHERE YOUR BUSINESS IS, AND I THINK WE'RE ON THE CUSP!" [JOSEPH ALTUZARRA] "American fashion is all about ease—a sense of pragmatism, the idea that clothes should mold to your lifestyle. In France, how you dress can be a little more challenging intellectually," says Joseph Altuzarra, and he ought to know—- the designer possesses dual citizenship: he was raised in Paris, went to Swarthmore and worked with, among others, Marc Jacobs (here) and Givenchy (abroad). Now based in New York, Altuzarra, who won first prize this year in the CFDA/Vogue Annual Fashion Fund competition —has recently received accolades for his fall 2012 collection, with its coin-bedecked parkas, light-hearted knitwear and slim trousers. Reflecting his own background perhaps, the designer says this season is meant for a global nomad: "It's a vibe that pretty accurately reflects what is going on in fashion now." He confesses that another inspiration was Corto Maltese, a French comic strip character from the 1970s. "He's a sailor, his mom is a gypsy and his dad is Venetian—he's a famous style icon, he's even been in Dior ads!" Though his work is not meant for a woman of any particular age, Altuzarra is often referred to as a "young" designer. But he laughs when he is asked his opinion on how young is young? "I'm 29—so maybe I'll be a 'young' designer until I am 35?" Then he pauses and becomes more thoughtful. "I think maybe young is more like where your business is, and I think we are on the cusp!" BAL HARBOUR 47 PHOTO BY PAUL MAFFI