As the lights dimmed and the spotlight focused on the runway, AREA’s Fall Winter 2023 collection took the audience on a captivating journey through fashion's primitive roots during New York Fashion Week.
From Necessity to Luxury
The narrative began with an exploration into fashion's primal instincts. Bones and fur, once essential for survival, evolved over time, becoming symbols of affluence and excess. With this collection, AREA sets out on an ambitious endeavor to dismantle these preconceptions, aiming to offer a fresh perspective through innovative material investigations.
The Modern Allure of Fur
AREA’s designs hark back to fur's ancestral significance while projecting a forward-thinking vision. Historically championed for its warmth and later as a badge of luxury, fur has been both revered and controversial. AREA's approach is contemporary and inclusive, repurposing fur as trompe l’oeil renditions in denim, crepe viscose, and silk jacquard.
The transformative process began by photocopying vintage fur pelts, warp-printing these patterns onto diverse fabrics. Capturing fur's intrinsic voluminous charm, AREA employed godet-inspired draping to craft skirts, dresses, and grandiose couture coats. This ingenious technique also found its way into jeans and outerwear, merging timeless glamour with everyday essentials.
Primitive Elegance: The Bone Revival
AREA's signature touch has always had an ornate flair, with jewelry and adornment at its core. This season's muse was the bone, a nod to some of the earliest forms of jewelry. Marrying ancient craft with contemporary techniques, AREA unveiled abstract bone designs using lacquer, Swarovski crystal bombé, and hand-molded claws.
- Lacquered Bones: Hand-sculpted exaggerated bone shapes, sheathed in resin enamel and accentuated with Swarovski rivoli crystals, became the centerpiece of couture gowns and distinctive jewelry.
- Crystal Bombé Bones: The artistic vision of translating bones and skulls into cherished adornments came alive through thousands of Swarovski crystals fashioned into bombé skull heads and intricate bracelets. This dazzling technique graced dresses and tops, with catsuits entirely festooned in sparkling splendor.
- Molded Claws: With a touch of wild elegance, hand-molded jewelry claws became avant-garde additions, creating deliberate slashes on tailored suits, cocktail dresses, and denim, presenting a contemporary spin on 'distressing.'
AREA's FW23 collection is more than just a fashion statement; it's a dialogue on the evolution of materials and meanings in the world of fashion. An ode to the past, a reflection on the present, and a vision for the future, AREA invites us all to see fashion through a primal yet polished lens. area.nyc
AREA FW23 Full Collection
