Since the release of his first fashion series in 2008, Joseph Altuzarra’s works have always been inspired by film works. In his memory, there was only one TV in his childhood home in Paris, but unfortunately it could not receive any channels. As a result, Altuzarra grew up with a series of video tapes. Coincidentally, his parents are also big fans of old Hollywood movies, especially those from the 1940s and 1950s.

The effects of childhood spill over into adulthood. When Altuzarra founded his own fashion brand, old movies naturally became his source of inspiration—either referring to the design of costumes, or using the mentality of a director or screenwriter to give the fashion a story-like character background.

We selected 10 films from Altuzarra’s work over the past nine years to see how they influenced his designs.

2017 Spring and Summer Series "Wild at Heart" (David Lynch, 1990)

The 2017 spring and summer series just released by Altuzarra is inspired by "Wild at Heart" shot by David Lynch in 1990. This is a love thriller crime movie, which is not a pleasant work, but Altuzarra said that he did not want to show the dark side of the movie, but to interpret the beautiful moments through the emotional clues of the two protagonists - such as the scene where the heroine Lula kisses the hero Siler in the car. Lula's black polka-dot backless dress and Siler's python skin suit jacket were both put on the catwalk. Altuzarra hoped that the Lula in his mind could be "sweeter, more polite, and have a sense of humor," so he picked the lemons and cherries on the head of "Banana Girl" Carmen Miranda and embroidered them on Lula's skirts and bags.

2017 Early Spring Series,  "Frantic" (Roman Polanski, 1988)

"Frantic" was one of the movies Joseph Altuzarra rewatched many times with his parents when he was a teenager. He was particularly obsessed with the character played by Emmanuelle Seigner, and her costume in the play - the black motorcycle jacket, and the way the whole costume was matched was the fashionable style of French girls in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There is a hint of tragedy in the character played by Seigner, a slightly crazy but very interesting woman. So in the brand's 2017 early spring series, Altuzarra chose a lace-trimmed dress paired with a black leather jacket. During the lookbook shooting process, in order to restore the scenes in the movie at that time, the designer team searched around New York City for the gray-yellow lobby and slightly outdated elevators in the show. As a result, their hard work paid off. They found an almost identical scene and completed the shooting.

2016 Autumn and Winter Series, "Only Lovers Left Alive" (Jim Jarmusch, 2013)

Altuzarra is particularly fond of movies with cross-time and space themes, such as the vampire-themed movie "Only Lovers" starring Tilda Swinton. The designer did not copy the costumes in the movie or seek inspiration from the details of the costumes. What attracted him was the film's narrative style and the vampire hero and heroine who were curious about different cultures and lifestyles - these reminded the designer of his own creative process. As a fashion designer, the sources of inspiration are always diverse: they may be cultural trends from different periods, or national costumes from different regions... With the help of splicing technology and printing, Joseph Altuzarra reinterpreted the movie "Only Lovers" in the 2016 autumn and winter series.

2015 Autumn and Winter Series, "Barry Lyndon" (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)

The 2015 autumn and winter series draws on two films, one is "Swans" directed by director Truman Capote in 1924, and the other is "Barry Lyndon" released in 1975. The overall image of the fashionable girls on the show is a tribute to the actress Gloria Vanderbilt in "Swans". The designer believes that she represents the most perfect American beauty. As for the Prince of Wales plaid and the constant appearance of fur, both come from "Barry Lyndon" - a movie that describes how a man living in the 17th century used means to rise to the top. The Prince of Wales plaid symbolizes the dignity of status, while fur symbolizes the rise in status.

2015 Spring/Summer Collection, "Rosemary’s Baby" (Roman Polanski, 1968)

Altuzarra was still young when he first watched this famous thriller. It was only when he watched it again as an adult that he realized the horror of the story. In the 2015 spring and summer series, the designer decided to create a new wardrobe for the heroine Rosemary - with the help of gradient clothing details, she recorded her step-by-step transformation from an innocent young girl to a suspicious and out-of-control woman: the sweet pink suit and sky blue plaid dress were gradually replaced by a translucent deep V chiffon dress. The original sweetness of Xiaojiabiyu has also turned into a provocative one with a hint of lust.

2015 Early Spring Series, "Querelle" (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982)

"Sailor of Fog Harbor" can be regarded as the greatest gay-themed movie. After its release, this film also became an inexhaustible source of inspiration for fashion designers. In past fashion works inspired by the film, designers often focused on highlighting the strong masculinity and sexual implications of the film. Altuzarra is no exception: elements such as sea soul shirts, double-breasted navy blue peacoats, navy uniforms, and ropes on splints all appear in the 2015 early spring series.

2013 Autumn and Winter Series, "Irma Vep" (Olivier Assayas, 1996)

Yes, the woman wearing a silicone bodysuit is indeed Maggie Cheung. In 1996, Maggie Cheung was invited to France to film "Irma Vep" directed by Olivier Assayas. But this is not a vampire-themed film, but a fantastic work that satirizes the French film industry at that time. Altuzarra also remembered Maggie Cheung because of this film. He quoted the classic costumes in his 2013 autumn and winter series. In addition to tight-fitting leather suits and dresses, he also used leather to create the effect of human anatomy. The models all wore red eye makeup at the corners of their eyes. In his story, these models looked like ghostly vampires—of course, the image reference was Altuzarra’s benefactor, Carine Roitfeld, who is currently the editor-in-chief of CR Fashion Book.

2013 Spring/Summer Collection, "Orlando" (Sally Potter, 1992)

As one of Altuzarra's favorite movies, "Orlando" is also a time-travel movie, in which the protagonist's gender transition became the theme of the 2013 spring and summer collection. He mixed the characteristics of men's clothing with the beauty of women's gender, so this series is also the season in which the female image is the most domineering and powerful in Altuzarra's works.

2013 Early Spring Series, "Out of Africa" (Sydney Pollack, 1985)

“When I planned to make Safari-themed clothing this season, the first thing that came to mind was "Out of Africa"”

2012 Autumn and Winter Series, "Belle de Jour" (Luis Buñuel, 1967)

There is no doubt that whenever fashion designers draw lessons from this movie, it must be from the housewife Severina played by Catherine Deneuve. Her bourgeois status that is not revealed is particularly suitable for this dress designed by Altuzarra: an elegant top, but paired with a short skirt with a slit that reaches deep into the thigh and high leather boots - these characteristics are completely the outfit of Sevrina, who lives a rich and comfortable life, but is mentally numb and empty, and decides to "work" in a brothel.

2010 Autumn and Winter Series, "Edward Scissorhands" (Tim Burton, 1990)

The pleats and exposed seams on the black leather skirt resemble an Edward Scissorhands costume. This is Altuzarra's third season of work, and it is also the first time that he has used the movies he watched as a child as inspiration for his designs. In addition to "Edward Scissorhands", this series also draws on Burton's mechanical costumes in "War for the Planet of the Apes" and the image of Catwoman in "Batman".