AREA FALL-WINTER 23/24

Words by Laur Weeks @laur.weeks

Area presented an innovative exploration of the evolution of fur and bone – from most ancient and necessary materials for survival to status symbols of contemporary luxury and overindulgence. Concepts of savage design dance with social cues of wealth as embellished bone motifs and technical trompe l’oeil fur bring opulent and voluminous notes to each Autumn/Winter 2023 look.

OVERVIEW OF AUTUMN/WINTER 2023 AT NYFW

If there’s one thing we’ve come to consistently expect from New York-based designer Area, it’s opulence. Area, helmed by creative director Piotrek Panszczyk, has long been a frontrunner in avant-garde creativity, delightful use of oversized motifs, and utterly luxurious design. Incorporating its signature heavy beading, gemstones, and shaped textile work, the latest Autumn/Winter 2023 collection debuted at New York Fashion week felt perfectly aligned with the industry’s highly anticipated expectations of the brand. Exploring “Fur Trompe L’oeil,” the showcase was built upon themes of the evolution of both fur as a textile and luxury as a concept throughout fashion history. Elaborating upon “primal instinct” and its shifting expressions throughout generations, Area brought a new light to one of the oldest documented forms of clothing in history – as well as one of its most controversial.

Panszczyk aims to deconstruct and demolish the notions of luxury over eons, redefining what the expression of luxury means to society through using alternative materials, illusory prints, and archaic references updated for the modern age. The designer explored carnal and organic matter such as bones and fur for the colder seasons – materials that morphed as the centuries moved on, from necessitated basic means of everyday survival to status symbols of aristocracy, wealth, and subsequent power. Finally, in the modern age, these materials are viewed by the designer as the ultimate icons of today’s excess and overconsumption, adding his voice to a symphonious theme echoed across the fashion industry of late in varying interpretations. The fur trade has long been a symbol of the rift between the wealthy and the impoverished, and Panszczyk looks to break these barriers with his exploratory collection speaking to both inclusivity and experimental luxury with a runway staged fittingly within the Williamsburgh Savings Bank – built in the 1870s and one of Brooklyn’s oldest financial institutions.

Thoughts of glamor and opulence are often synonymous with furs, alongside jewels and precious metals. Area incorporates all three of these aspects into the new season in unique ways. Toying with the idea of fur as a status symbol made for a more modern audience, the brand employed an unconventional means of pattern creation for their key textiles in the show. Vintage fur pelts were photocopied and warp-printed as artwork onto numerous fabrics, forming the base of each look. Alluding to fur’s voluminous textures and silhouettes as markedly glam, dramatic constructions for patterns were then used – skirts, dresses, coats, and other garments featured bell-shaped godet panels, extravagantly long shapes, and voluminous puffs and hemlines to encapsulate this aspect of the original organic material references. More basic wardrobe staples like denim jeans and casual outerwear also received this treatment, adding trompe l’oeil drama to the typically basic or blasé.

Bone pieces are considered by anthropologists to be one of the earliest and most rudimentary forms of jewelry in history, evolving into the glimmering metals and opulent crystals we most often drape ourselves in today. Area marries these two concepts of the primal and the contemporary through gem-encrusted life-sized bone motifs woven into sumptuously draped gowns, skirts, and tops. Organic and unexpected bone pieces were shaped by a trio of innovative techniques (lacquer, crystal bombé, and molding) alongside Swarovski crystals and skull motifs. One standout formalwear light cream-toned suit elicited high praise, with striking golden embellished “slashes” all across the fabric created as if by claws, flawlessly merging the savage with the elegant.

By reimagining the evolution of materials from de rigueur survival compulsion to extravagance and status over generations, Area challenges our perceptions of luxury itself and continues its established trend of eye-catchingly overt design. Every detail is thoughtfully considered, researched, and flawlessly executed for a stunning collection that speaks to Panszczyk’s prowess and innovation. We anticipate these trends to continue for the brand, smashing our preconceived notions of fashion and making for standout pieces that bring a fresh perspective to the industry and its wearers season after season.