Piotrek Panszczyk and his team started thinking about Area’s resort collection in a very straightforward place – the word resort itself. “If you look at the history of Yves Saint Laurent, Ungaro, Jean Paul Gaultier et cetera, there’s always this idea of going back to the sailor, the rope, the anchor…these symbolic tropes, basically,” he said. “We wanted to dissect these ideas and subvert them in a way. He chose the mussel (“something very erotic rather than really glamorous”) as his starting point because it reminded him of home. “I [was] growing up in the Netherlands, on the Belgian border, and there’s a very large mussel fishing industry in that area,” he explains. He casts mussel shells into metal and combines them into floral patterns that adorn light glamazon- ready bras, corsets and bodysuits. They are highly edited creations ready to be photographed for magazines, record covers etc. (the lookbook itself was photographed by Collier Schorr).
But at Area, Panszczyk is interested in spreading his ideas and aesthetic vision to as many people as possible, and while his sculptures are undeniably works of art, his “more approachable” work carries just as much of his energy Like a pink leather coat embellished with laser cutouts and metallic mussel flowers that was both utilitarian and utterly dreamy, and a black cylindrical gown whose bodice dangled like two mussel shells and was encrusted with crystals. The leather was cut and sewn to resemble a mussel shell, which was then fashioned into a miniskirt (with a matching mussel shell flower bra, of course).
Also great Successful explorations around cordage have led to intricately constructed bespoke pieces—wave-shaped strips of fabric cut and handwoven that look like strands of material intertwined—showcasing Panszczyk’s talent. A houndstooth print, contrasting black and pink, alludes to the semi-couture couture the label is known for; a white crepe dress is sexy and effortless for red carpets and parties. But it’s on a pair of jeans—made of dark wash Paneled with light blue denim, a mussel shell flower adorns the belt—his brand’s democratic vision shines through. High-waisted, fitted at the hip, and slightly flared, they’re just a great pair of jeans— Just a little extra.
“If you look at our brand, it’s evolved, but it’s never really changed, you know? “Some of these techniques were actual couture techniques that we started exploring in the first show, and no one thought we could actually commercialize them, but that’s because we’ve done it nine times since then. . This required a lot of research and development. ’ He continues, ‘I love seeing them used in major pieces, but I also really love them in utilitarian pieces; when we can have a denim that’s amazing, it can actually be Appear in the wardrobe of a wider group of people. It doesn’t really speak to our creativity, it speaks to the way we look at business growth. “
