You’ll Want Everything from Joseph Altuzarra’s Home Collection on Etsy
For his spring 2020 collection, Joseph Altu-zarra dressed his models in an array of crochet tank dresses and knit camisole tops that contrasted beautifully with his sharp tailoring. At the time, the fashion designer said that the inspiration for these luxuriously homespun pieces came, in part, from his love of knitting, which he learned from his mother.
It turns out that Altuzarra has handicrafts on his mind in other ways. Today, he is unveiling a col-lab-oration with Etsy, the digital company known for empowering small design entrepreneurs. Altu-zarra has long been a fan of Etsy, which he uses as a resource for vintage fashion inspiration. He is also an avid personal consumer of the site’s home goods. Three years ago, he approached the brand about working together; the resulting collaboration marks the first time Etsy has partnered with a fashion designer. “At Altuzarra, we’re all about working with artisans and learning about craft from different countries, whether it’s shibori or basket weaving,” Altuzarra explains. “Etsy is really a global marketplace for small businesses of makers and craftsmen.”
Altuzarra and his team spent a month searching Etsy for possible designers they could team up with. They settled on eight entrepreneurs. In each case, Altuzarra worked with the artisan on incorporating his brand’s aesthetic codes into the individual vision. Israeli hand-woven baskets from Weaving Art, ceramic vases by Sara Paloma Pottery, glazed-ceramic candleholders by Madelon Galland, and crochet-covered stones from MonicaJ all employ variations on the color cognac, a signature Altuzarra hue. For fabric-wrapped notebooks from the Vintage Bookworm UK and throw pillows by Townsend Rowe Home, Altuzarra shared deadstock of dip-dye textiles from his spring 2016 collection. Woven placemats and coasters by Damaris Kovach reference the espadrille bottom of an Altuzarra tote, and dog beds by Laylo Pets (the designer and his husband have a dog named Bean) feature motifs from past seasons.
“Our makers tried different approaches, received feedback from Joseph, and iterated the design until it was just right,” says Jessica Doyle, vice president of communications and engagement marketing at Etsy.
The Altuzarra x Etsy collection prices range from $35 to $1,500. If the collaboration seems unexpected coming from Altuzarra, an interiors lover whose favorite designers include Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand (and whose aforementioned knit dresses start at $1,295), well, that’s exactly the point.
“That’s what makes it interesting—it’s a totally new audience,” Altuzarra says. “It’s not just pretty to look at. My friends can buy it, and I think that’s really exciting.”
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