There’s an art to building an archive. It takes time, money, and an eye for timeless pieces that will age well. Imagine, then, having to do none of that and simply being gifted an archive, one that consists of pieces straight from a CFDA Award-winning brand. That’s what Joseph Altuzarra’s daughters, Emma and Charlotte, will receive upon blowing out their candles on their eighteenth birthday. The designer revealed on TikTok in April that he’s currently building out an Altuzarra archive for his daughters by choosing a few pieces from every collection and putting them aside. The video blew up (garnering almost a quarter of a million views, the most he’s ever received on the platform) as viewers gushed over the sweet project. “TikTok algorithms are a mystery to me, but the response to that video was huge,” he tells W over Zoom. Below, the designer and father breaks down the project, shares some pieces his daughters will receive in 15+ years, and reveals his (in no way solidified) plans to design children’s wear for his brand.
First, I would love to hear a little bit about your daughters. What are they like?
Charlotte is turning one in a week and Emma is three and a half; they’re really sweet, very loving kids. Emma is quite headstrong. She is very playful and funny and she’s getting to that age where she’s starting to say really funny things. And then Charlotte is just such an angel. She’s a smiley, easygoing little sister.
They’re really growing up around the studio and your work. Has Emma shown an interest in fashion at all?
She has a pretty acute sense of what I do for work. She comes to the office a lot, and she’ll draw while I’m drawing or she’ll join when we’re doing fittings or styling. She’s also been to the store, so I think she has an understanding of the end product we’re creating.
Even at three and a half, she already has her own sense of what she likes to wear. Every night, she picks an outfit for herself—from the dress to a sweater, shoes, socks, underwear, and any accessories—as part of her bedtime routine. I let her wear whatever she wants, weather permitting, unless it’s obviously inappropriate. Charlotte, though, is obviously much younger, so I don’t think she gets it just yet—but Emma definitely does.
What kinds of pieces does Emma favor?
She’s very girly. She likes pink and traditionally feminine things, which is interesting, because it’s not what we introduced to her. We tried to expose her to a variety of things—both dolls and trucks, and the same with clothing. We wanted to give her the opportunity to develop her own taste, and this is what she likes.
Let’s talk about the archives. When did you start creating them?
I decided to do this when we first became pregnant with Emma. So when our surrogate was pregnant, I started thinking about heirlooms, or things that I had as a child that I wanted to give her.
It started very organically. The first season [pre-fall 2020] when we were pregnant, I ordered two pieces, thinking, “Maybe this will be fun. She can wear it when she’s older.” And then the season after that, it crystallized as a more formal project that I wanted to undertake for the kids. It’s something I really enjoy. I like thinking about what pieces I think they’ll like. I don’t know that there’s exactly a strategy, but I try to pick things I think are really beautiful. I also try to pick a range: depending on the season, some things are super casual, like a sweater and a denim skirt. In other seasons, it’s much more formal, and it could be a dress that they wear to a party. Some things are much more grown-up, so they probably won’t wear when they’re eighteen and will save for when they’re older.
How do you handle sizing?
The biggest question on the TikTok video was about sizing. That’s the toughest part because I don’t know what size they’re going to be. So I try to order a range. I choose pieces that have elasticated waists, and I order a lot of knitwear. I’ll also skew on the larger side, because I know I can always take things in.
Does Emma know about the archives?
I think she has an idea. She’s seen it, but I may become a little bit more secretive about it as she grows up.
Has having daughters affected the way you design?
More than you would know. Although it’s not necessarily just having daughters, but maturing in life and becoming a parent. In a weird way, my life has become much closer to those of my clients: school drop-offs and fundraisers and needing outfits that take you from the rush of the morning to work, to meetings, to dinner, to a cocktail.
But I also think, having daughters, there is a sense of feeling much more accountable for what I put out into the world and the things I design. In 20 years, I want them to feel proud of what I’ve done. I’ve also become much more sustainably minded, thinking about waste and how we can make our processes more efficient. Also, diversity and inclusion; all different shapes and sizes, what the team looks like, who our creative collaborators are. Obviously as a queer Asian man, it was always on my mind and important, but now it’s become a guiding light and purpose in my work.
Do you have any plans to make children’s clothing for Altuzarra?
Yeah, I would like to. I think that would be really fun. I do already make some of Emma and Charlotte’s clothes, so there is a natural synergy there.
Do you make them mini versions of the dresses you’re designing for the brand?
I do, or I’ll make something easy, but in the print of the collection. And Emma is now aware enough that she knows it’s from Altuzarra, and she really likes it. I also knit sweaters for myself, and Emma always asks for a mini-me version of it.
Shop Emma and Charlotte’s Altuzarra archive:
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