Matthew Williams to Exit Givenchy

1 Dec 2023

Matthew Williams is set to exit Givenchy after three and a half years as its creative director, the Paris-based fashion house said in a short statement.

The American designer rose to prominence designing for performers like Kanye West before founding his own label, 1017 Alyx 9SM, in 2015. Known for a haute streetwear aesthetic blending sleek tailoring with utility-inspired metallic accents, Williams recently secured a new investor for Alyx, Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Adrien Cheng. (The label was originally backed by Slam Jam founder Luca Benini).

At LVMH-owned Givenchy, Williams’ vision got off to a rocky start during the pandemic, which limited exposure for his first shows. Following mixed reviews for his early collections, the designer found steadier footing after settling on a concept that straddled his penchant for punkish streetwear with the history of the house, aided by stylist Carine Roitfeld.

Still, the brand’s fashion message remained somewhat fuzzy: after teetering from the gothic couture-meets-streetwear aesthetic of Riccardo Tisci to Clare Waight Keller’s back-to-the-archives, classic vision, Givenchy likely needed a clearer, more captivating take on fashion as well as heftier investments from its parent company in order to keep up with stablemates like Celine and Loewe, mega-brands in the making which have enjoyed rapid growth in recent cycles.