>> I've run into a number of people this week that don't know this name, but trust, you'll want to know: Altuzarra. The native French designer, Joseph Altuzarra, put in a short amount of time at both Marc Jacobs and Givenchy and came out with a sensibility more up the Helmut Lang or Jil Sander alley. Streamlined, well-cut camel coats were paired with body-conscious pants, soft matte jersey in cream or lavender-gray was draped, shaped, and seamed into of-the-moment dresses — some with padded shoulders — and metallic gunmetal numbers, combined with snippets of what looked like stretch neoprene, finished out his cocktail trifecta. Even with just this second collection, Altuzarra proved he is one of the major talents just on the horizon — and he had some heavy hitters in attendance — Barneys fashion director Julie Gilhart, Vanessa Traina, who posed for his Spring 2009 lookbook — to prove it.
*image: source, source
Matthew Ames, recipient of an Ecco Domani Award this year, staged his New York runway debut at Fashionhaus earlier this week. Ames took the intimate group of attendees--Paper’s Kim Hastreiter and Elle's Kate Lanphear were in attendance--through an innovative range of kimono jumpsuits, oversized slouchy coats, and harem trousers in naturals colors while the show was set to an ambient spoken-word soundtrack by Laurie Anderson, the wife of Lou Reed. This Brooklyn based designer started his career many seasons ago in Paris and is now the pride and joy of the young New York fashion scene. Click on the link above to see our snapshots from the show. 
