Altuzarra A/W 2017

Mood board: The show’s programme opened with the quote, ‘Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under ‘t’, from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. ‘I was reading the play when working on this collection, and looked at a lot of references in the text, and Renaissance painting was one of them,’ Joseph Altuzarra explained backstage. He connected the play to the United States’ current presidential administration. ‘I thought that the character of Lady Macbeth was really interesting, and the play is obviously very appropriate for our time,’ the designer said. ‘A lot of interest in the play is about power, ambition and greed.’

Scene setting: Models strutted atop a lilac carpet around giant, moss-covered mounds. ‘The set came from thinking about a surreal space,’ said Altuzarra. ’I wanted it to feel dislocating in a way.’

Finishing touches: Corset lacing, bows, fur-collared coats, embroidered toggle enclosures and intricate silver embroidered flowers on eveningwear were several of the accents Altuzarra added. ‘A lot of it was about colour, texture and details, as well as prints and embroideries,’ the designer explained of the collection. ‘But it was broken down, and I pushed this more aggressive attitude.’