Meet the designer: Carter Young

A Q&A with Carter Altman of Carter Young

Photos and styling by Conor Macckormack

Sitting with Carter Altman and his partner, Madi, in a cozy apartment just steps from Rue du Temple in Paris, we immediately felt the essence of Carter and his brand, Carter Young.

After a day of walking endlessly through Paris, in and out of appointments, it was here we kicked off our shoes, sat back on a sofa, and looked through his beautifully crafted lookbook and fabric swatches. We love when we find a designer who lives in their own lane, away from caring about what others are doing. Carter is notably an incredible tailor, a suit maker, and also really great at both knowing what he likes and is interested in, and understanding what his customer wants to be wearing.

The other notable part of meeting Carter and his partner is how genuinely they care about their community. We shared brands we like, designers we find interesting, and even talked about food, spaces, and art. Carter generously introduced us to other brands, such as Jacques Solovière. Sitting in that apartment at the end of the day — dark and cold in January — feeling this sense of warmth and excitement, we will always remember this as the "why" behind what we do.

Read our Q+A with Carter below.

~Jen and Darcy, Jake and Jones general manager + asst. buyer

Carter Young Kowalski Knit Polo in Black/Tan / Carter Young x Jake & Jones 120s Wool Tailored Trouser in Chicory Marl

What have you been up to today? How are you doing?  

This morning, I had a fitting with a client for their first custom suit. After that, I spent most of the day with two friends, Louis Cheslow and John Sunyer, working at a cafe. This evening, I'm going to go with my girlfriend, Madison Corr, to Felicity Kay’s launch with WNU.

How did the name Carter Young originate? 

That's actually my first and middle name. ‘Young’ is a family name on my maternal side. When I was naming the line, I thought it was evocative of Americana themes without being too geographically specific to any one region of the country. Amorphously American. 

How did you get into working with clothes? Was it something you’ve always been interested in?

I first got into clothing through skateboarding. When I was younger, I was always buying new shoes and thought that maybe I could be a designer for skate footwear. As I learned more about design, I became interested in products more generally, and became interested in clothing. I found a summer internship for a bespoke tailor in New York and after learning about the process of making clothes, I was hooked.

You started Carter Young at age 18. What is it like being in the fashion world in your early 20’s? Any words of wisdom for inspiring young people?

I think I was only able to do it because I knew nothing at the time. I had worked in the industry for a few years, and had a lot of ideas, but I had virtually no understanding of the business side of running a line. My advice to young creatives would be to try and get a job or internship, or shadow with someone who has an entirely different skill set than your own so you can learn all of the things you don't know. Then, when you're setting out on your own, you can know who to look for to help you and how not to get taken advantage of. 

If I’m not mistaken, Jake and Jones is the only Carter Young stockist on the U.S west coast. How would you introduce your line to a newcomer? What pieces would you recommend?

Yes! We are very excited to be launching with Jake and Jones. For new people coming to the line, I would recommend our suiting and shirting. While I recommend everything in the line, these two categories carry a lot of the character of the line and are great entry points into our aesthetics. The collaborative suit we did with Jake and Jones takes the best parts of traditional tailoring and modernizes them for a contemporary look. 

Carter Young x Jake & Jones 120s Wool Tailored Jacket in Chicory Marl

Looking at your line, there are lots of details reminiscent of classic vintage Americana. Your Instagram bio is "NEW Americana." What “new” things are you bringing to the table?

Before the line, it was important for me to consider the story of the brand, and to have a reason that I was bringing something new into the world when there is already an overabundance of products. For me, this was trying to tell an American story outside of the well-trodden aesthetic tropes like East Coast Prep, LA Sleeze, or Southwest Cowboy. I think there's a story to tell that comes from the in between, the heartland. That is what we are trying to add to the conversation with the brand. A vision that can't be truncated to regionally specific dialogues, but something representative of a broader swathe of American life. 

We are loving our Carter Young x Jake & Jones 120s Wool Tailored Jacket in Chicory Marl collaboration and so are our customers. What’s your take on this set?

When Jen, Darcy, and I first spoke about introducing the line to the shop, Jen mentioned she had purchased one of my blazers in New York and hadn’t stopped wearing it. It was our cropped single-breasted fit, which featured a classic construction with a slightly shorter body and a straight-cut hem. She was in love with the silhouette and wanted to bring something unique back to her customers in California. We recut that suit in a beautiful 120s wool with a brown/gray marled face. It's a really unique fabric, and I'm really proud to have worked on it with J and J. I think it's really representative of the type of tailoring we do and how we construct our garments.  

How do you get into a creative headspace? How do you overcome feeling creatively blocked?

When I need to get in the right headspace, I usually listen to music and take a walk. There's nothing more inspiring to me than listening to something while moving. If I need new inputs, I'll seek out a film or an exhibit — anything that can give me a new input to react against. I have a daily practice where I work on something creative every day. Some days, it produces horrible results, and other days I surprise myself. I think knowing that the baseline expectation for myself is to make something every day pushes me even when I'm not in the mood. 

Are there any hobbies you wish you had more time for?

I wish I had more time to learn guitar. My friend Calum has been trying to teach me, but it takes a lot of practice! It’s hard to improve when you only get to practice once a week. 

Is having a clothing line what you expected?

It is and it isn't. When I first launched the line, I thought what I wanted out of it was creative fulfillment. As the commercial engine of the brand has developed, my focus has shifted more towards realizing a certain lifestyle, rather than my specific artistic whims. There's an external apparatus that naturally comes with running a company that's bigger than one person. I now enjoy my role of being able to set the ship off in one direction, and seeing how my efforts can kickstart a chain that's carried by other people.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of the job is being able to pursue a creative lifestyle led by the impetus to create new narratives and collaborate with other talents in the field. There is nothing better than walking into a room and seeing someone you admire and having a context, through your work, to bring them into your world. 

Any fashion rules you advocate for?

It's not so much of a rule, but I think people should start trying to wear ties again. Accessories in general really. You only need a few staple items, but you can make an outfit exciting through little embellishments. 

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Thanks, Carter! We’re excited to introduce Carter Young to our little corner of the globe. Shop the Fall/Winter ‘24 collection now, in-store and online.