Joseph Altuzarra’s NFT collection with Altu

Image source: Getty / Anna Webber

Gender inflection. Genital fluid. Genderless. Gender nonconformist. No matter how you describe clothes that – put simply – can be worn by everyone, the fact remains: fashion is becoming less controlled by gender boundaries. Los Angeles-based No Sesso (literally “no sex/no gender” in Italian), Re—Inc, Human Nation and TomboyX are just a few of the clothing brands that eschew traditional gender labels in favor of clothing for everyone, regardless of how identify themselves.

This spirit of deconstruction and reimagining is partly what drove Joseph Altuzarra to venture into previously uncharted creative territory. Last year, the 39-year-old designer launched Altu, a line of basics that he previously described as “gendered” because the term had a more positive connotation than other common terminology.

From a tank dress with a 90s-inspired square neckline to a black skirt-trouser hybrid, the collection celebrates the elegance of minimalism across different forms of gender expression.

Image source: Altu

“Someone who’s drawn to Altu understands the freedom in simplicity,” Altuzarra tells POPSUGAR. “There is no particular style associated with our community. Altu’s goal is to bring together people with all different styles, identities and missions.”

He wants people who use Altu to carry themselves with a sense of hope and pride no matter what they wear. That authenticity and freedom of expression is something he would like to see more of in the entire industry. “The word is truth,” he says. “Fashion is about inventiveness, but it must be based on people who represent real identities.”

Altuzarra, who launched his eponymous label in 2008, hypothesizes that the “resilience of youth” will inspire the next era of fashion. “Not just the eager kids who crashed onto the stage today, but also the youth that we all experienced,” he elaborates. “The future of fashion will raise the ingenuity of childhood.”

He already embodies this sense of adventure and wonder by experimenting with art across different mediums. His last attempt causes him to dive head first into the NFT room. As part of a collaboration with Afterpay for New York Fashion Week, five designers – Altu, AnOnlyChild, Jonathan Simkhai, Kim Shui and The Blonds – launched an NFT collection that allows buyers to unlock exclusive collectibles with digital “keys”. “We’re democratizing fashion week and creating new opportunities for consumers and merchants to access a typically closed-door event,” said Natalie McGrath, a marketing manager at Afterpay and Cash App.

For Altuzarra, making design accessible to everyone starts with the clothes themselves, but continues in the digital world, where more and more people shop and engage with brands. “I wanted Altu to be part of the push to give people who are interested in the fashion industry a way to access it,” he says. “This collaboration was a great opportunity to platform Altu’s mission to create inclusive, progressive and engaging experiences for other creative people.”

Altus’ digital key unlocked a special-edition logo tote bag and oversized T-shirt, plus a curated exhibition guide starting with Wolfgang Tillmans’ “To Look Without Fear,” currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City through January 1 . , 2023.”[Tillmans’s] work has been part of my creative process since I was just starting out,” shares Altuzarra. “Tillmans asks visitors to filter his work through their own experiences; that’s how I see Altu working in the fashion room. I want people who watch fashion, like Tillman’s show, to look without fear.”