Striking a balance between commerciality, wearability, and the fantastically femme fatale is the Area conundrum. It’s something Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk began to tackle with their first pre-fall collection for the 2016 season. Back then they created long silk shirts and embossed tees inspired by their own wardrobes. Five years and thousands of crystal garments later, the pair are surer about what everyday Area can and should be. Turns out it’s as simple (or complicated, depending on your POV) as jeans and suiting.
Rather than send out denim “as a novelty,” as Panszczyk called their previous ventures into the material, the pair spent their first post-pandemic months in the studio perfecting a medium wash, straight leg fit. The special Area touch comes in the form of crystal-trimmed cut-outs on the thighs and around the pockets. Denim shorts with crystal fringe are paired with daintily sexy crystal tops or tartan blazers, the latter being their send-up of proper Brit tailoring. One neon pink version comes with a giant heart cut-out on the front to reveal a crystal bra—or nothing at all—underneath. Other styles have detachable pillow panniers inside, to pump up hips into New Look proportions or keep deflated for a more streamlined shape. Black cocktail dresses and crystal dangly bits abound. Shot on a cast of New York dream girls like Alek Wek, Lindsey Wixson, and Precious Lee, the collection looks both viable and vampish, a good carry over until Area hits the runway again—we hope soon.
