“On this day we remember the victims and families of the September 11th attacks. They will always be in our hearts.” That was the hand written message jotted down on all of the show notes at Altuzarra. It’s impossible to ignore the horrific event that happened on this day 15 years ago, even while you’re looking at thousand dollar clothes. Still, the show must go on and if it must continue then the best way to honor those who lost their life due to the September 11th attacks is to present an exceptional collection. Altuzarra did that with ease. For Spring 2017, David Lynch’s 1990 film “Wild At Heart” starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern took center stage as inspiration. His goal was to make the clothes just as fun as the characters played by Cage’s and Dern’s.
Food Fight
If fun meant food then grab your utensils, fruit was in season at Altuzarra. Cherries covered black knit sweaters with ruffled hems and lemons, and pineapples were embroidered on blue gowns with tiered ruffles. When clothes lacked food embellishments and prints they were slithering with python skin —and even the snake print trench had cherries all over. Altuzarra also showed cardigans, pants with flounce hems, gingham print shirt dresses and floral print blazers. Many of these prints got styled together and surprisingly it worked. Even the evening offerings were festive. An aqua fish blue dress with yellow sequin pineapples and lemons embroidered on it from head to toe was the boldest of the bunch. However, a black blueberry and blackberry cover gown offered a more conservative alternative.
A Bright Future
Before the first model walked out, the curtains covering the windows that extended from the floor to the ceiling rose letting in natural light and exposed downtown Manhattan. Unofficial —or maybe intentially— that view became the backdrop for Joseph Altuzarra’s show. It was a beautiful moment if you took the time to take it in. Those clothes could easier hit the streets now, and with a collection as ripe as this it will come next spring.
