For this season designers Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk wanted to create a world that examines adornment, embellishment, volume and personal identity.
Cultural travel and exchange
The starting point of the collection was the idea of a name plate necklace. Historically pioneered by African Americans in the 80’s and 90’s to express individuality, Area examined this idea by translating their brand name into different languages. They incorporated the name plate throughout the collection creating garments made of jewelry, a play between logo branding and individuality in a global context. They continued this idea developing intricate laser cut shirts, pants, leather straps on shoes and handbags, and later broderie anglaise fabric.
Romantic Neo-Victorian modernism
Area continued their historical journey going back to Victorian cage constructions ancient arabesque metal work, armor and wire sculptures and started translating these shapes into metal cup chain dresses with cage like 3-D godet inserts. Creating voluminous armor-like dresses that echo the female body and its curves hinting at couture.
50’s & 60’s Americana
Domesticated suburbia becomes couture with patterns like Vichy, gingham and florals. Classic patterns like gingham morph into a ‘A’ shaped gingham houndstooth, as an update on the graphic black and white pied de poule from last season. 50’s and 60’s volumes are distorted creating twisted lady-likeness.
Satin organza is draped in cocoon like ruffles and created into faux fur spaghetti strips that resemble hair and fur. Liberty and ‘Laura Ashley’ florals are translated into sensual summer crèpe and iridescent signature lame’s giving them a futuristic update. Hand-doodled flowers are translated into rich colorful crystal chain motifs, that are woven together into lavish crystal cup chain garments and adornments carried out from accessories handbags and make up.
The exploration of gender roles and clichés. We later hinted to masculine corporate clichés like beards translated in cage like crystal. The female embellished in masculinity. Crystal beards oversized shirting tailoring and ties.
Area created an otherworldly universe with a free-spirited sense of 70’s and experimental couture.
VIA: Steff Yotka
