Matthew Williams Is Exiting Givenchy
Dominique Charriau
Givenchy and Matthew Williams, the designer who rebooted the French house in 2020 with an edgy, dark makeover, are parting ways. In a statement, Givenchy announced Williams would be stepping down effective January 1, 2024.
“Leading the creative direction of Givenchy was, as I said upon my arrival in 2020, the dream of a lifetime,” said Williams in the statement. “Over these three years, I have strived to perpetuate Mr. Hubert de Givenchy’s legacy while bringing my own creative vision and I would sincerely like to thank the studio, [Givenchy president and CEO] Renaud de Lesquen, and LVMH for this incredible opportunity.”
Williams was an unconventional and mildly controversial pick to head up a maison long associated with Audrey Hepburn and haute couture. He made a name for himself as the founder of 1017 Alyx 9SM, the kinky, techy sportswear brand beloved by Soundcloud rappers and techno-fashion kids. Before that, he was a member of the streetwear-DJ collective Been Trill alongside Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston, and a creative director for Kanye West and Lady Gaga. Givenchy’s bet was that the man who put Gaga in a meat dress would be able to redefine the brand, which was in need of a new direction following the departure of Riccardo Tisci in 2017.
His vision for Givenchy initially drew a sharp line from what came before, a sexy and skimpy wardrobe with a sort of vampiric elegance to it. Williams brought his whole crew of celebrities with him to the new gig; Playboi Carti was his muse, and Kendall Jenner fronted campaigns. It was a socially savvy and apparently somewhat successful formula, one that brought the brand a new kind of cultural relevance. Young Thug began name-checking Givenchy in songs, and kids with face tattoos crashed the front row. In the statement, de Lesquen hailed Williams for “all the energy” he brought to the brand, and noted that his “resolutely creative and contemporary” collections “sparked a new dynamic and found their audience.”
So, what happened? While buzzy, Williams’ work found mixed critical reception, and likely didn’t light the world on fire sales-wise. He also never launched a proper revival of Givenchy couture. His focus appears to be rightly turning elsewhere. Last month, he secured an investment deal with Hong Kong entrepreneur Adrian Chen for 1017 Alyx 9SM, which has continued to grow with strong collections and major collaborations with Nike and Audemars Piguet. According to the statement, Williams will “fully dedicate himself to the development of his own brand.”
Though fashion critics—particularly the grumbly French establishment—did not celebrate Williams’ work at Givenchy, he is going out on a high note. His most recent two men’s collections were by far his best. Fall-Winter 2024, shown in Paris in January, was an excellent exploration of modern dress codes, with couture tailoring alongside carpenter jeans, and a lot of skirty mid-section layering that felt new and exciting. His swan song menswear show in June was more commercial, but smartly done, simple style archetypes in blown out proportions, paired with hiking packs that showcased his technical design mind. Backstage, he explained the collection thusly: “At the end of the day, I want to make clothes that people wear in real life.” It felt like he had finally figured out how to do that at Givenchy.
Now, we wait and see if the hunt for his replacement kicks off a round of designer musical chairs. For the moment, Givenchy’s studio teams will design its upcoming collections “until the announcement of a new creative chapter.”
Originally Appeared on GQ
