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BY DANA SEAY

In print | Published April 21, 2005

Joseph Altuzarra ‘05, Swarthmore’s one and only fashion designer, is preparing for his final show at school, and it is sure to be an exciting one.

The inspiration for his collection, Altuzarra said, had its origins in the loneliness and alienation he felt working in New York in the summer of 2004. These feelings drove him to design a show around something very personal — a show about his mother, Karen Altuzarra.

“My mother is an amazing dresser,” Altuzarra gushed as he explained that the clean lines that characterize the collection are linked to her strong aesthetic.

But the collection’s exploration of womanhood isn’t confined to this one pivotal figure; it’s about what it means to be a powerful woman.

“I talked to a lot of middle-aged women, and they described a similar series of events in their lives,” Altuzarra says. “There’s the transition from youth to professional, and many times there’s a rupture or a snap somewhere down the line, which leads to significant change.”

Working from this idea of personal growth, the show is a three-part collection. “The first part of the show is really about being a powerful woman in the workplace,” Altuzarra said. “[It is] very inspired by my mother’s appearance when she went to work.” This section is characterized by conservative colors and clean lines, accentuating Altuzarra’s fine tailoring. The second part of the collection is markedly more relaxed. “It’s a different kind of power that is more about inner strength,” Altuzarra explained. The clothes are “about femininity, about the innate power that all women have to be resilient and serene.” Altuzarra, who is predominately a draper, never disappoints with his dramatic eveningwear.

In Altuzarra’s words, a powerful woman is “a woman who is confident, who knows what she is doing and what she wants.” In rejection of simplification, Altuzarra emphasized that there is no one model for this paradigm. “I think of my mother as a powerful woman, but I also think of Martha Stewart or Frida Kahlo as powerful women, and God knows they’re different,” he said.

Representing the powerful woman in all her complexities, Altuzarra’s collection is eclectic in its references, but what ties it all together is the confidence with which these ideas are executed. The most explicit reference in his work is to 17th-century French paintings of women, but look a little closer and you’ll see references to many other art forms as well, from the architecture of Rem Koolhaas to minimalist sculpture. And some of his influences are even more modern. “I’m kind of obsessed with Louis XIV,” Altuzarra reveals, referring to the Indie rockers whose hit songs feature phrases like “who’s your daddy?” crooned in faux-British accents to the squeal of raunchy guitar. The glam decadence and raw sex appeal oozed by the group lies not too far beneath the surface of Altuzarra’s pieces, the perfect mixture of oomph and ohm.

Altuzarra’s multiple references create a tension that is exciting and never contrived. His collection manages to feel modern and relevant while maintaining its unabashed elements of biography and the kind seen in French houses (Balenciaga ranks among his favorites). What’s innovative in his designs, though, is the vigor with which he approaches the technical challenge of making what at first appear to be old-fashioned oddities not only fresh, but also wearable.

After seeing Altuzarra’s collection, you suddenly find yourself wondering how you made it all these years without a dress with a train. He plays with proportions, one minute convincing the viewer that simple lines are the epitome of high fashion, the next overwhelming the onlooker with a piece full of movement and volume. Textures mingle to create pieces that feel warm and inviting, and details, such as clusters of buttons, add a touch of decadence to more minimalist pieces.

Altuzarra has a trademark tendency to finish pieces in a way that’s both finely tailored and unfinished, yet never fussy. Rough edges give the clothing a raw, warm feel. This aesthetic dates as far back as the designer’s career: At thirteen, Altuzarra, already defining his signature style, termed this look “sophistication through negligence” two years before he started making clothes.

It’s this sincerity, energy, and vision that are sure to make Altuzarra’s third and final show at Swarthmore an exciting one. “I want to give people something different; I want to give them a good time, to stimulate them and inspire them,” Altuzarra says.

Seeing clothes in a fashion show setting reminds us of clothing’s theatrical qualities. “This is what dressing up can be,” Altuzarra proclaims. “It’s what makes it fun. People should learn to appreciate fashion for itself. Clothes have the ability to make you feel good.” Altuzarra’s show should be approached not only as a demonstration of his superb skill as a designer, but as an event to be enjoyed, full of spectacle and excitement. “Fashion is for everyone,” Altuzarra reminds us, and he hopes the show will attract a varied audience.

Joseph Altuzarra’s fashion show will be held on April 27 at 8 p.m. on LPAC’s main stage. He’ll be using his List Gallery show that following Friday (April 29, from 4-6 p.m.) as a sample sale. The entire collection will be on sale with pieces starting at $50.

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