In part two of our conversation with Joseph Altuzarra, the designer and OCNY neighbor explains why he can watch The Ring but not The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, what winning 2011's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund means for his brand, and what it's like to watch Marc Jacobs at work.
Read about the spring collection's Hawaiian prints and Joseph's 90s music obsessions in part one, and indulge your curiosity as we peep inside Joseph's new Howard Street studio in the photos below.
Shop all Altuzarra here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: Did you always know you were going to become a designer?
Joseph Altuzarra: Well, I went to Swarthmore College, which is not a fashion school. I spent 4 years there before I started interning at Marc Jacobs. Fashion was something that I always liked and had an affinity for. I really liked drawing when I was a kid, but I never thought it could be an actual job! I was only in my last year of college when I decided I wanted to pursue it. I also felt I was at a disadvantage because I didn’t have a formal background in fashion design. When I applied to Marc Jacobs it was a total surprise that I got the internship and it was such a steep learning curve. I had to learn so much on the job, but it was such a great way to learn.
ANH: And then you worked at Proenza as well. How was that?
JA: It was great. At Marc Jacobs it was about the process of the collection, watching Marc work, and seeing where he would get inspiration from and how it would translate in his work. But Proenza was such a small company when I was there and it was about seeing how the company worked. Then, when I went to Givenchy, it was much more about design––how you cut a jacket, and how you merchandise a collection. And at Givenchy we drew constantly. It was a really different way of working––more research-based, and a lot faster too.
ANH: What’s your own design process like?
JA: I think my process is close to the one that I had at Givenchy, so it’s very research-based and two-dimensional for the first couple of months, and it involves a lot of drawing. Then, during fittings, a lot changes. But what I took from my experiences at other places is that I hate doing things at the last minute. So I actually do the work very early on and try to make sure that I’m on schedule. That way, I don’t make life hell for people around me!
ANH: And you design here in the studio?
JA: Yes, either here or at home. I live in Tribeca and I really like designing at home because I need to take a lot of breaks!
ANH: Are you running out for snacks all the time?
JA: I’ll get up, draw for a couple hours, watch 15 minutes of television, and then draw again.
ANH: What are you into right now?
JA: I’m a big fan of 60 Minutes, 20/20, and Dateline. And I love crime shows, like Law & Order SVU! I’m actually not into reality TV at all. I get so much secondhand embarrassment from all the housewives stuff!
ANH: Do you go to the movies a lot too?
JA: Yes. But I’m more of a movie-renter.
ANH: Cute! No one really rents movies anymore. What are your favorites?
JA: It fluctuates. I love good Woody Allens, like Manhattan Murder Mystery. I’m definitely a romantic comedy buff. I’ll watch pretty much any romantic comedy and appreciate how bad it is but still really, really en
Read about the spring collection's Hawaiian prints and Joseph's 90s music obsessions in part one, and indulge your curiosity as we peep inside Joseph's new Howard Street studio in the photos below.
Shop all Altuzarra here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: Did you always know you were going to become a designer?
Joseph Altuzarra: Well, I went to Swarthmore College, which is not a fashion school. I spent 4 years there before I started interning at Marc Jacobs. Fashion was something that I always liked and had an affinity for. I really liked drawing when I was a kid, but I never thought it could be an actual job! I was only in my last year of college when I decided I wanted to pursue it. I also felt I was at a disadvantage because I didn’t have a formal background in fashion design. When I applied to Marc Jacobs it was a total surprise that I got the internship and it was such a steep learning curve. I had to learn so much on the job, but it was such a great way to learn.
ANH: And then you worked at Proenza as well. How was that?
JA: It was great. At Marc Jacobs it was about the process of the collection, watching Marc work, and seeing where he would get inspiration from and how it would translate in his work. But Proenza was such a small company when I was there and it was about seeing how the company worked. Then, when I went to Givenchy, it was much more about design––how you cut a jacket, and how you merchandise a collection. And at Givenchy we drew constantly. It was a really different way of working––more research-based, and a lot faster too.
ANH: What’s your own design process like?
JA: I think my process is close to the one that I had at Givenchy, so it’s very research-based and two-dimensional for the first couple of months, and it involves a lot of drawing. Then, during fittings, a lot changes. But what I took from my experiences at other places is that I hate doing things at the last minute. So I actually do the work very early on and try to make sure that I’m on schedule. That way, I don’t make life hell for people around me!
ANH: And you design here in the studio?
JA: Yes, either here or at home. I live in Tribeca and I really like designing at home because I need to take a lot of breaks!
ANH: Are you running out for snacks all the time?
JA: I’ll get up, draw for a couple hours, watch 15 minutes of television, and then draw again.
ANH: What are you into right now?
JA: I’m a big fan of 60 Minutes, 20/20, and Dateline. And I love crime shows, like Law & Order SVU! I’m actually not into reality TV at all. I get so much secondhand embarrassment from all the housewives stuff!
ANH: Do you go to the movies a lot too?
JA: Yes. But I’m more of a movie-renter.
ANH: Cute! No one really rents movies anymore. What are your favorites?
JA: It fluctuates. I love good Woody Allens, like Manhattan Murder Mystery. I’m definitely a romantic comedy buff. I’ll watch pretty much any romantic comedy and appreciate how bad it is but still really, really en