At the crossroads of French and American fashion, Joseph Altuzarra digs deep into his multifaceted identity and sense of global community as he returns to New York Fashion Week for the first time in four years to show his Spring/Summer 2022 collection.

For Joseph Altuzarra, home isn&rsquo;t just one place or even one feeling. The French-American-Chinese designer has roots in Paris and New York City and both fashion capitals have influenced his empowering, sensuous approach to dressing the modern woman. More than points on a map, they are a part of his multicultural identity which he explores in his collections, from French savior faire flourishes to references to traditional Chinese silhouettes.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When I was growing up, there was a very singular way that you were French, which was that you looked white and you were of French descent, and also there was a way you were Chinese, and a way you were American&mdash;I was none of those things exclusively,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.altuzarra.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Altuzarra</a> tells L&rsquo;OFFICIEL. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve really connected my process of thinking about my identity to my process of working on my collection and my design process, so I try to look beyond a kind of singular perspective and try to craft identity from different points of views and different places.&rdquo;

After four years of showing in Paris, the Spring/Summer 2022 season marks a return to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/best-new-york-fashion-week-street-style-spring-summer-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Fashion Week</a> for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/altuzarra-s-new-bag-is-for-the-sensual-modern-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Altuzarra</a>. The designer addressed the turning point in a session of The Talks, NYFW's series of discussions with various industry figures throughout the week. Presented by BMW, NYFW's official automotive partner, Altuzarra's talk reflected on his choice to show at New York Fashion Week and how his multicultural identity continues to shape his work.
A homecoming rather than a comeback&mdash;the designer has firmly planted his namesake label among the top fashion houses since its launch in 2008&mdash;Altuzarra spent the past year developing the new collection and wanted it to reflect the sense of rebirth he witnessed in the city after COVID-19 had shut so much of it down.
&ldquo;It was an emotional experience, being here in 2020 and going through that really upsetting time,&rdquo; he reflects, referring not only to the shared trauma of the pandemic but also the violence that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community faced in the past year. As the city reopened, Altuzarra says he &ldquo;wanted to feel like I was a part of this New York community that was making the city better and bringing the city back.&rdquo;&nbsp;
While he presented the <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2021-ready-to-wear/altuzarra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fall/Winter 2021 collection</a> via a lookbook photographed in a Manhattan townhouse as in-person shows were still on hold last March, Altuzarra began making nods to the spirit of rebirth he celebrates in his official return to the NYFW stage&mdash;most obviously in butterfly wing motifs that grace a number of colorful dresses.&nbsp;

Being able to go between Paris and New York, according to the designer, reflects how &ldquo;the language of fashion is so global.&rdquo; Being able to create &ldquo;a dialogue with different people, different audiences,&rdquo; has imbued Altuzarra&rsquo;s work with a universal attraction that speaks to the various markets. As a designer who was raised in Paris, with headquarters in New York, and production sites in Italy, this globalization is also one of the reasons why the designer is presenting a see-now, buy-now collection in partnership with Afterpay this season.
&ldquo;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/10-luxury-capsule-collections-to-shop-this-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Luxury</a> used to be this kind of unattainable, exclusive segment of the market that was not afforded to everyone,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Today, luxury has to speak to to the broader world, has to speak a more diverse cultural language.&rdquo; Instead of luxury houses dictating what will be in next season, designers are looking to the consumers to satiate a more immediate hunger for style. Being able to shop the collection in the current season makes for a more deliberate edit of modern knit pieces, print dresses, and effortless suiting.&nbsp;
"There is this whole generation of designers, which I hope I'm a part of, that are starting to push the boundaries of what inclusive luxury looks like," Altuzarra shares. "It's really exciting, and New York is really innovating in that kind of space."
The designer reflected more on this earlier this week at his panel discussion The Future of Fashion and Luxury&ndash;Altuzarra&rsquo;s Return to NYFW, presented by BMW. You can watch the full interview moderated by Tiffany Reid at <a href="https://app.nyfw.com/video/250383/the-future-of-fashion-and-luxury-altuzarras-return-to-nyfw-presented-by-bmw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NYFW.com</a>.

Photo: Mich Cardin

Joseph Altuzarra Returns to New York Fashion Week Just in Time for a Luxury Revolution

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