In a season full of designer debuts at established labels—there’s 15 if you’re keeping count, which we are —only a few have an air of mystery about them. Such is the case for Nicholas Aburn, the new creative director at the New York label Area . Aburn has taken the reins from Piotrek Panszczyk who co-founded the label with Beckett Fogg a little over a decade ago, and turned it into a fulcrum for American glitz, glamour, and fantasy. (Fogg is still Area’s CEO). The 37-year old newcomer may not yet be a household name, but he arrives at Area with over a decade of experience working at Tom Ford, Alexander Wang , and most recently Balenciaga ’s couture studio. Perhaps most important of all, Aburn arrives at the label as a fan.

“I was recommended to Beckett by a friend who knew I rea

See Full Page