Nicholas Aburn's Debut Collection for Area References New York City Streetwear, Lululemon Leggings and Extreme Optimism

Since launching in 2014, Area has been known for its sparkly, rhinestone-covered clothing. The signature aesthetic was developed by Co-Founders Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg, who led the brand’s creative direction until last February. Following the final show under the design duo, Area announced Nicholas Aburn (formerly of Tom Ford, Alexander Wang and Balenciaga) as their successor.

Considering the brand’s specific signatures, Aburn had some clear codes to maintain when it came to developing Spring 2026 — but that doesn’t mean he didn’t allow himself to have fun. “There was a lot of work and I had to do my homework first,” he told Fashionista in a backstage interview. “When I first got [to Area], we worked on a lot of new commercial products. It was an interesting exercise, and a lot of that stuff is here. I really believe in this product. It was a good exercise to start with the building blocks and then layer up the crazy.”

The show began with lots of wearable pieces, including tattered denim and second-skin basic tops. The streetwear-inspired garments became progressively more elevated as the runway went on, featuring oversized satin hoodies, sequin-embroidered basketball jerseys and bedazzled shoelaces wrapped to form skirts and bandeau tops.

“I think that streetwear and a sort of athletic style are part of how people in New York dress. The big hoodie with the basketball shorts look is like, ‘Oh, I know that girl. I am occasionally that girl.’ So the game of how to create that tension between the avant-garde and evening elements of the collection was something that inspired me,” said Aburn. “It kind of trickles down to a hoodie, but made out of an evening fabric and with a crystal detail. You can wear this over a cocktail dress.”

It was important to Aburn that the collection represented the real New Yorkers who will likely end up wearing his designs more than anyone, ensuring that the clothes are not just realistic and comfortable, but that they also maintain that effortless sense of sleekness that the city’s fashion is known for. To that end, Aburn admitted he referenced popular athleisure brand Lululemon in the collection: “There are these little athletic yoga pants and shorts. I just think that’s how we all dress, and I’d rather embrace that and play with that reality.”

As additional models strutted down the runway, the score of loud drum beats progressed into a marching band rhythm you’d hear at a high school pep rally, emphasizing not just Aburn’s inclusion of sportswear, but also the celebratory energy of his debut. “Right now, everything is…it’s a weird time and I think it’s cool to be optimistic,” he explains. “I think, ‘Why be optimistic? Why not be optimistic?’ I’m really pushing myself every day to find the fun, and this work has been almost therapeutic in that way.”

Once the collection’s denim, structured suiting and other more “commercial” pieces appeared in the show, the designer also sprinkled in flashier moments. A look with ripped baggy jeans was accompanied by a pailette-covered T-shirt finished with silver fragments attached to metal wires protruding all around the top, creating a sort of cage. Then, an all-black ensemble was punctuated with a cheerleader’s pom-pom as an accessory. Just a few looks later, those sporty, multicolored metallic shreds came back, this time as a floor-length gown fully engulfing the final model.

“With that piece specifically, it’s so blown over the top that maybe it expresses a certain tension about being optimistic in an extreme way, in an extreme time.”

Ahead, see every look from Area Spring 2026.