Altuzarra S/S 15
Gingham, the mainstay of picnic blankets and Dorothy Gale costumes, is typically considered as unsexy as a material can be. Fortunately, Joseph Altuzarra specializes in revealing the appeal hidden in even the most divisive elements. The designer found sophistication lurking in gingham, utilizing it for a series of feminine suits and dresses accented with strands of grosgrain ribbon. Citing films like Kubrick’s picaresque Barry Lyndon as source material, Altuzarra balanced ideas about naiveté and sensuality. Vanessa Axente appearing in the palest of pastel checks ought to be prim, but the resulting look was an intriguing mix of the urbane and the pastoral. While some looks veered towards saccharine, the collection kept its footing with an added jolt of eroticism that came with the introduction of several woven leather pieces that left little to the imagination. It was easy to imagine front-row fixture Rihanna sporting one of those ensembles, but the notoriously brazen bad gal RiRi seemed charmed by Altuzarra’s dainty florals and lighter than air finale creations – proof that even the sexiest among us enjoy the juxtaposition of sweet and street.
Review by Janelle Okwodu
Photos by Julia Chesky
Cover and front-row photo Paul Morigi / Contributor / Getty Images
Styling by Melanie Huynh (Management + Artists) and Vanessa Traina (Management + Artists)
Casting by Michelle LeeMichelle Lee
