In his last fall collection, Joseph Altuzarra showed black wool suits trimmed out in glossy black goat hair and dresses with lacing. At once sensual and tough, the clothes made a statement. Retailers were impressed with Mr. Altuzarra’s sophistication. But there is another aspect of his talent that has shown itself before: a desire to be a little less constructed and formal. On Saturday night, at Milk Studios, Mr. Altuzarra played with that style for his loosest, most commercial collection to date. It wasn’t his most exciting, but it may relate easily to how young women like to dress. And it may supply Mr. Altuzarra with working capital for future collections.
His main idea was an over-scaled parka, usually with thick fur trim, over a bias-cut silk slip dress in a muddy argyle print. There were also almost drab-looking coats in a rough olive- or mulberry-colored wool. Mr. Altuzarra took classic argyle and plaid patterns and manipulated them, so that the silk prints often had a crinkled effect. The printing technique virtually altered their original appearance, although there remained a hint of something English and rural.
Most of the dresses were just below the knee, and there were other bias-cut styles in solid silk with wide straps and gathers at the side. You could imagine layering the dresses with a T-shirt or a chunky cardigan — in fact, Mr. Altuzarra showed more knits this season.
Except for the nylon parkas, which included one in a poncho style with a quilted red satin lining, the coats were made in English wools. There were also slouchy wool trousers and slim khaki skirts, which Mr. Altuzarra showed with print tops and usually a chunky jacket. The collection had more separates than in the past, more ways of mixing things, and it transparently owed something to the grunge style of Kate Moss in her younger, Johnny Depp years. That may be a problem — as a style, it’s not exactly new. But it’s certainly accessible to a lot of people. And for Mr. Altuzarra, seeing his fashion on the street has to be a goal.