While the arrival of Joseph Altuzarra’s collaboration line with Target has been long-awaited, its local presence has been somewhat of a letdown. Sneak peaks of the Altuzarra collection were made public on sites like Net-a-Porter.com, TeenVogue.com and Luckymag.com, and Net-a-Porter is the only one you can purchase from. The collection, while aimed at the fashionable, modern-day corporate woman, has some pieces appropriate for the non-working types as well.
Altuzarra, a Parisian-born clothing designer, has already been exalted for his work despite his young age. A 2004 Swarthmore College graduate, Altuzarra began by interning at Marc Jacobs, and has since seen incredible success. In 2006, he was an assistant to Givenchy, and in 2008 he debuted his first collection of 15 pieces. He was featured in Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30, and has received numerous other accolades for his work.
Altuzarra’s pieces are normally found in the Barney’s and Bergdorf Goodman’s of 5th Avenue, and are sold at consistently high prices (usually ranging in the low thousands). The introduction of his line in Target, appropriately titled “Altuzarra for Target,” brought a new hope for the money-minded fashionista. Each piece is modestly priced under $100.
While much of this line consists of leopard- and snakeskin-printed pencil skirts with thigh-high slits, there are some conventional pieces as well. Flipping through the online lookbooks, I saw an array of versatile, feminine blouses that seemed to float right off the computer screen. These particular favorites could be perfectly paired with jeans or satin tap shorts.
The morning the line launched, I ran through the Target parking lot with thoughts of leather-paneled trench coats and crimson, velvet tuxedo jackets obstructing my vision. To my dismay, the Vestal Target had the least exciting pieces of the entire collection.
The assortment was a letdown, to say the least. There was an empire drop-waist, animal-print dress hanging loosely on a hanger. The material had a yellow sheen to it and the shape of the dress very closely resembled a woman attempting to conceal a baby bump. Another piece was a navy button-down silky blouse imprinted with a huge white lilac right down the front. Not only was it unflattering, but it stylistically resembled something my grandmother would wear to temple.
There were two items that had me biting my lip on whether or not to purchase. A black embellished pullover sweatshirt and a simple shift dress. The black pullover was tailored to be an oversized fit. Stitched onto each shoulder was a white bird. The very graphic nature of the sweatshirt reminded me of something I would walk right by at Forever21, no thank you. The “A-line” sleeveless shift dress was the only item that was worth some thought. The design, however, was nothing new. White on top and pale blue on the bottom with a slight ode to menswear. This type of dress was really best left for the hanger to don.
Sure, it’s not the Target of Manhattan, so I can’t exactly blame Altuzarra’s sales team for not sending the most coveted pieces to Vestal. However, I was still disappointed. The online options of Altuzarra’s line are exciting, but you won’t find them here. Your best bet to snag an Altuzarra design is still on Net-a-Porter. Those waiting for the fashionable liberation of the Triple Cities will have to wait just a bit longer.