From his first collaborations with artists and celebrities to the founding of Alyx and his arrival at Givenchy. The story of Matthew Williams, creative and visionary designer
To this days, everyone knows him as the creative director of Givenchy.
A niche of enthusiasts probably follow his footsteps since the founding of the 1017 Alyx 9SM in 2015 which, already from its name, partly a tribute to one of his daughters, partly to his stay in New York, reveals all the personality of its creator.
Who is Matthew Williams?
Matthew Williams, born in Illinois, raised in California, New Yorker by adoption and finally seduced by our Bel Paese, where with Luca Benini have established the official headquarters of Alyx, between Ferrara and Milan, the barely 36-year-old designer already has a respectable past.
He began working in fashion at a very young age as a self-taught artist with stylists and designers who were responsible for the looks of music celebs. And so it was thet he created the look of Kanye West's performance at 2007 Grammy Awards. His cultural background ranges from skateboarding to rap culture: thus the young Williams wins the heart of Kayne who offers him a position as art director in his first fashion project.
A few years later, Lady Gaga also chose him as artistic director of her Haus of Gaga, a team of creatives who take care of all the singer's visuals, from concert sets to looks.
In the meantime, Williams had already founded, together with a collective of more or less emerging artists (Virgyl Abloh and Heron Preston among the best known), his first street fashion brand, Been Trill, but it was with Alyx Studio, later renamed 1017 Alyx 9SM, that the real consecration came.
The consecration: from birth to success of 1017 Alyx 9SM
Born as a women's project, Alyx presents its first men's collection in 2018. And it is immediately a huge success.
The brand places itself in that thin grey area that separates - if we want to talk about separation - luxury from streetwear. With an eye always pointed on sustainability.
For young people, Alyx is a bridge from streetwear to tailoring.
Williams signature is contamination.
His style can be recognised by his ability to revisit elements and symbols of subcultures in a deluxe key. The rollercoaster buckle is the most iconic and tangible example of this, a true trademark of the brand that we find on numerous garments and accessories: from the nylon summer suit, composed of shorts and shirt, to the mini backpack, also in total black nylon.
The commitment to sustainability translates into great attention to materials and fabrics.
The choice of recycled fabrics is flanked by that of natural fibres, as in the SS22 logo t-shirts entirely made of cotton, balancing organic and techwear.
Among the iconic pieces in the new collection shown in Milan are the Mono boots, which in the summer version are transformed into Mono slip on , a 3D sneaker with an undoutebly futuristic design.
From Alyx to Givenchy, through successful collaborations
If 1017 Alyx 9SM is the sounding board of Matthew Williams' vision, his arrival at Givenchy certainly represents the moment of his consecration.
An achievement gained also thanks to the numerous successful collabs the designer has continued to cultivate: Nike, Moncler, Dior Homme, Vans, to mention just a few of the most famous ones.
Partnerships that Williams always interprets in a positive key of growth, enrichment and mutual exchange: selecting those with the greatest potential, which are able to evolve towards new and unexpected directions, both parts involved.
Evolution and growth are the watchwords that, to date, have characterised Givenchy's artistic direction.
Williams has been able, in these two years at the helm of the French fashion house, to add a street touch, modern but never disrespectful to the pre essence of brand, to take it into a new era of inclusiveness.
Discover 1017 Alyx 9SM spring/summer collection at www.strikestore.eu
