Altuzarra

Who started it? Born and raised in Paris, France, Joseph Altuzarra studied art and art history at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia, the United States. Upon graduation, Altuzarra landed a job as an intern for Marc Jacobs in New York. He went on to work for Proenza Schouler as a freelance designer and in October 2006 he was recruited by Riccardo Tisci, the creative director at Givenchy, as design assistant for the brand. Last year, he moved back to New York to launch his own label. His clothes are available at fashion meccas such as Ikram in Chicago and Barneys New York.

Why we love it: Altuzarra's mix of Parisian couture and New York style creates sleek and contemporary designs. His autumn collection was inspired by the bold and confident women of the 1940s and 80s. His designs highlight the shape of a woman's body, accentuating the figure with soft body-contour lines and shirring fabrics such as stretch silk, cashmere and jersey.

What we'd pick: the softly gathered body-con dress (HK$16,000). For the day, go for the beige waist jacket (HK$20,500) and super-narrow trousers (both pictured; HK$7,800) made from subtly contrasting panels of fabrics.

Where can I get it? Altuzarra is available at Joyce, 16 Queen's Road Central, tel: 2810 1120.