Altuzarra Envisions Us Coming Out of Our Cocoons for Fall 2021

An optimistic (and cozy) vision for autumnal dressing.

Over the weekend, Altuzarra unveiled its Fall 2021 collection, as part of the Paris Fashion Week lineup. Fittingly (and optimistically), the theme was transformation — specifically, what it might look like to emerge after a period of containment and reflection.

“As I began researching this season, I was intuitively drawn to the story of a chrysalis turning into a butterfly,” designer Joseph Altuzarra said, in a statement. “I stumbled on photos of butterfly wings and started collaging them to create a print. This became the starting point for the collection, and the inspiration for its overarching narrative.”

The lookbook echoes this idea by showing the models “at home,” inside an impeccably decorated apartment — their cocoon, if you will. Layering plays an important role, both literally and figuratively: Of course, this is an autumnal collection, so it’s a key styling device; however, it also represents this notion of adding and shedding different parts of yourself, as part of the transformation process. For Altuzarra, that translates to moving from “protective silhouettes to joyful, soft, and sensual explosions of colors and texture” as the line progresses, he explained: “I came to realize that it mirrored my own desire for freedom and release, and the yearning to be in the world.”

Fall 2021 moves from big, roomy coats, full-coverage suiting and cozy oversized knitwear in dark plaids and rich neutral tones to sharp tailoring, shoulder-exposing dresses and easy separates in brighter colors and prints.

See every single look in Altuzarra’s Fall 2021 collection in the gallery, below.