On the occasion of the appointment of Matthew Williams as creative director of Givenchy, discover our profile on 1017 ALYX 9SM from our issue 91.

As shown by its fast-growing fan club, the ready-to-wear brand 1017 ALYX 9SM has taken the world by storm in no time, winning over everyone from young streetwear adepts to rappers and top fashion editors. No matter where you turn, one name is on everyone’s lips: Matthew Williams, a leading light for the new generation of designers versed in business, marketing and communication. Like Hiroshi Fujiwara or Errolson Hugh, he is helping to turn streetwear into an elevated, coveted and exclusive fashion category. Back when Instagram was just getting started, he formed the #Been #Trill collective with Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston – two of today’s most influential designers. Right away, the three pals grasped the influence of social media on fashion and took inspiration from the most hyped young brands in New York: Hood by Air, Telfar, Eckhaus Latta, and none other than Off-White. After thrusting Virgil Abloh onto centerstage, rapper and guardian angel Kanye West gave a boost to Matthew Williams by taking him on as his creative director. That was not the designer’s first time creating stage costumes and shaping a musician’s image, since he was also behind Lady Gaga’s most unforgettable looks during her first tour in 2009. These experiences in show business left him with the perfect address book for launching his own brand in 2015, with the support of his wife and muse Jennifer. Matthew Williams was born and raised in Pismo Beach, California in the 1990s, when skateboard culture and West Coast rap had reached something of a fever pitch. The two subcultures have stuck with the designer through his entire career, even becoming cornerstones of his brand’s trademark blend of scenester fashion codes with tailoring. He takes inspiration from his own lifestyle and dress, composed equally of band tee shirts and perfectly cut blazers. Williams assures us at every turn that his project is deeply personal down to the last detail including the brand name, which is none other than that of his daughter, Alyx. Like the other members of his clique, an air of mystery hangs around Williams, so much so that some even look up to him as a new fashion god, endowing him with a cult status peculiar to the industry’s new faces. For Spring/Summer 2020, 1017 ALYX 9SM is going for a sleek minimalism with monochrome looks in black, mauve and cognac. With spaghetti strap sheath dresses, oversized suits and long leather dresses featuring workwear details, Matthew Williams has set streetwear aside in favor of a chicer, more 90s esthetic reminiscent of Helmut Lang with an added touch of functionality. Like his cohorts, the designer is building an impressive list of collabs: Kim Jones tapped him for the infamous “rollercoaster” belt buckle, Moncler added him to its Genius line and Nike has developed pieces with him for several years now. It looks like the reign of 1017 ALYX 9SM is far from over.